Our Songs
by The Batchild
Summary: CHRISTMASFIC2007. Eleanor returns home after a year abroad and finds a strange note taped to her door and a present inside her apartment. With no idea who's leading her on this hunt, she follows the notes until she finds out the culprit on Christmas Eve.
1. Day One

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

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Song: "I'll Believe You When" by Matchbox 20

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**Our Songs  
**Day One //

She had been gone for almost a year, and it felt strange to be looking down at the sprawling blackness of Gotham City. The towers of factory smoke and the spires of downtown reached up towards the sky, and the islands of the city stood out in twinkling flashes against the falling light of sunset, almost calling her back. There was so much crime and sadness down there, but there were many good memories to counter, and oh, how she missed those good times. Eleanor Black sighed as she remembered, settling her head against the cold airplane window and blinked back the unexpected tears; despite all that had happened, she was happy to be returning.

A year ago, Eleanor had decided she needed a break. From everything. So, she had gone on a vacation, starting in Europe and working her way to Africa, then Asia and back to Europe. She hadn't had any idea of how she would be away for, but Lucius Fox, the man who ran Wayne Enterprises, who was also a close friend of her family's, had given her a temporary leave for up to a year. Eleanor had used up almost all that time, and had enjoyed every minute of it. And she hadn't had any communication with anyone from Gotham, not even her parents. She knew that her return would bring a lot of not-seriously-angry questions about her lack of contact. She also knew that it was getting close to Christmas, and everyone would be in the spirit, especially her mother, who was, in two words, Christmas-crazy.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen – this is your pilot speaking. We are approaching Gotham City International airport and we will being our descent in about twenty minutes. Please return to your seats and buckle your seat belts, and enjoy the rest of the flight."

Eleanor sighed again and settled back into her first-class seat, closing her eyes. The familiar feeling of excitement bubbled up behind her breastbone and she squirmed slightly, trying to make it settle. She knew why she was excited, and his face wouldn't leave the back of her eyelids. Bruce Wayne. _God, Eleanor. Give it up. _Thankfully, the images went away, but the excitement wouldn't subside. There was something hanging over her head, and that feeling that something was going to happen wouldn't go away.

Exactly twenty minutes later, the plane's nose dipped down, as did the right wing, and the runway of the airport briefly flashed by Eleanor's window. A few moments after that, the plane was smoothly gliding into the proper gate and the passengers were moving in a organized hoard down the walkway and into the main airport and shuffled towards the baggage claim. Eleanor realized she really had to go to the bathroom, but she didn't want to leave in case the bags came down when she was gone and they were taken by someone else. She shoved the handle of her carry-on bag into the zippered compartment and sat on top of it, crossing one leg over the other and popping her chin in her hand.

A bark caught her attention as the baggage claim began to move and she looked to her right where a dark grey Siberian husky sat, wagging his tail and panting. Unwanted tears jumped into her eyes at the sight. Blaze, her husky, had been killed before she'd left, when a high speed chase had ripped down the street by the park, just as Blaze had bounded out, ready to go home. He hadn't even gone out on the road – the escaping driver had gone up on the sidewalk. The death of her beloved dog had been the last straw to send her on her year-long journey.

The whirs of the baggage line and the sporadic clunks of bags brought her attention back to the present, and she angrily wiped the tears off her face, focusing on the colourful luggage in front of her. It took several minutes before her bright, ultramarine blue bags rolled into view and she hoisted them off the conveyor and started rolling towards the nearest bathroom. After she was relieved, she stood for a while, in front of the mirror, staring at herself, cobalt eyes and red-brown hair, and wondered at all the memories she had suppressed and at how fast they had come back. For almost a year, she had become someone else entirely: she had had a different life, different friends, different cares. As soon as she had set foot back on the soil of her hometown, everything had flooded back and she had become exactly who she was before. Was that a bad thing? She wasn't sure.

Out front of the airport, she hailed a cab and, with the help of the driver, loaded her bags into the trunk and climbed into the backseat, giving the address of her loft as she moved. The car drove away and Eleanor leaned her head back against the top of the seat and sighed once again, keeping her eyes open and watching the dark Gotham buildings fly by.

Her loft was almost a half-hour drive from the airport. Eleanor had the urge to phone someone, but her cell was in her loft; she hadn't had that urge in a very long time. She was beginning to realize that the city did weird things to people.

"Here we are Miss. Fee is thirty dollars."

Eleanor handed him two twenties, got his help to unload her bags, and proceeded inside to the elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor and leaned against the wall, the exhaustion from jet lag settling in fully. All she wanted to do was get upstairs and fall into her bed and sleep for hours and hours. She knew there would be things to do though. Or, things she _should _do. At that moment, Eleanor was seriously considering leaving those things until the morning. The jolt from the elevator stopping served to wake her up slightly, and she stumbled down the hallway to her door.

There was a pristine sheet of decorative white paper taped to her door.

Eleanor dropped her bags and gently pulled the note off the door and read the fancy computer font.

_Eleanor,_

_If you're reading this, you've made it home safely. That's good to know. I, among  
__others, have missed you a great deal and are not very pleased with you lack of  
__communication. But, as a welcome home present, I've prepared for you a game of  
__sorts. Just go to North City Park tomorrow at three in the afternoon, and you should  
__get the idea. _

As if the note wasn't strange enough, the lyrics to a song were typed beneath it. They were obviously to send a message of some sort. A message that maybe the writer couldn't put into words.

_I've tried so many times  
To tell you how I feel  
But you're far too disbelieving  
Are you trying to get even with me  
Maybe once or twice  
I wasn't fair I wasn't nice  
But now I've got myself together  
When I promise to be better  
You say _

I'll believe you when  
I'll believe you when  
When everything you say don't turn out wrong 

_I could call you every day  
Give presents by the score  
And I could send you pretty flowers  
Have them waiting at your door _

I could write up in the sky  
Forgive me I apologize  
Still if I went through every measure  
With my promise To Be Better  
You'd say 

_I'll believe you when  
I'll believe you when  
When everything you say don't turn out wrong_

After a moment of staring in disbelief at the note, Eleanor proceeded inside her loft where once again, she dropped her bags. Sitting on the table, large and red, was a box which looked like a present. The note fluttered to the hardwood floor as she carefully approached the box, adrenaline and fear beginning to pump through her veins. In Gotham, it wouldn't be that strange for a bomb to appear inside someone's house for no apparent reason. Gotham had more than its share of weirdoes. Eleanor kept that in mind as she sat on the couch in front of the gift.

"What in the world could it be?" Eleanor wondered to herself. Out of habit, she reached her hand out pet a dog that would have been there, and then sadly brought her hand back to her lap and folded it into her other one. "Who could it be from?"

Eleanor sleepily debated opening the box before she finally lifted one corner of the lid and peeked inside. The lights hanging from the ceiling glinted off a red fabric and Eleanor eagerly pushed the lid the rest of the way off, and pulled out the most gorgeous dress she'd ever seen. It was a deep red with a faint shimmer. As Eleanor stood up, holding the dress in front of her, it fell almost to the floor, hovering less than half an inch above it. There was no back, only straps under her arms and around her shoulders to hold it in place, and the neckline plunged to what would be about between her breasts.

"What is this?"

Eleanor fell back onto the couch, holding the dress in her lap, contemplating who could arrange something like this. Who had had access to her apartment over the year she wasn't here? Only the young man across the hall, Matthew, who offered to collect her mail, water her plants, and all that fun stuff. Her parents had a key, but they would never have done something like this. So, unless someone let the person responsible for this inside – and there were only a very few people her parents or Matthew would know they could let into her loft – Eleanor had no idea how to even start looking for the "culprit". The next question she had to ask was, who could afford the dress she held? It was a designer dress, and it was _definitely _not cheap. She knew a lot of people with money, but when combined with the fact that they would have had to have been to her loft before so someone would know they could be let in, the list was narrowed down to… Well, no one Eleanor could think of.

No, that was incorrect.

There was one person.

But that didn't make any sense. He wouldn't do something like this. Bruce Wayne was so into his fake playboy-billionaire façade, at least, he had been when she'd left, and he had also been more interested in Rachel Dawes.

"It can't be Bruce, there's just no way."

She stood back up, refolded the dress into the box and then headed into the bathroom to have a hot shower before going to bed. The only thing she could do to figure out who was behind this was follow it to the end. But it was stupid. She found herself getting excited over the idea of going to the park tomorrow afternoon, but she forced herself not to. She forced herself to not allow a childish aspect take over. When she finished her shower, she fell into bed, trying not to dream of what could be in the box tomorrow.

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**Author's Note… **Yeah, it's on time Shauna. Kinda. It's 12:17 am right now. We'll see if I can get this done in time for Christmas. And the chapters are going to be about this length. Kinda middle length. Enjoy. And yeah, it kinda doesn't make much sense right now, but give it a chance, OK?


	2. Day Two

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

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Song: "Waiting" by Kyle Riabko

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**Our Songs  
**Day Two //

Wayne Tower loomed over her as she climbed out of her car in the next-door parking garage. A short walk later, she was inside the main building being bombarded with greetings.

"Eleanor! You're back!"

"How was your vacation?"

"What'd you do on your time off?"

Eleanor dismissed each of the familiar yet unknown faces with a friendly wave and pushed her way to the elevator. She pressed the button for her floor near the top and settled into the back corner to wait for the ascension. The elevator would stop at several floors along the way, making the ride a few minutes longer than it would have been. When the car finally reached the upper level floor, Eleanor stepped off and made her way to her large corner desk situated in front of the door to Lucius Fox's office and fell into the cushy, ergonomic computer chair and turned on her computer. Thankfully, she wouldn't have any catching up to do, as one of Mr. Fox's other assistants had filled in. She would just have the work to do for today.

And that was apparently setting up slideshows and handouts for all seven meetings this week.

Great.

Eleanor just decided to dive into her work, pushing the hovering thoughts of the hunt out of her head and keeping herself busy.

"Hello Ms. Black."

Startled, Eleanor jumped and turned to cast a glare at who turned out to be her boss. "Oh, sorry Mr. Fox. I didn't realize it was you," she said, smoothing her skirt across her lap. "It's nice to see you again."

He leaned on her desk and smiled his fatherly smile, his brown eyes sparkling. "Yes, and the same to you. How was your vacation?"

Eleanor's eyes lit up. "It was excellent! I'll bring my pictures in as soon as I have them all developed to show everyone. Oh, and my souvenirs, don't worry." She smiled brightly. "But, I can say I'm glad to be back in Gotham City. I didn't realize how much I missed this place," she added as an afterthought.

Mr. Fox shifted so he was half-sitting on the edge of her desk. "I didn't expect to see you back at work this soon after returning. You just got in yesterday, didn't you?" He smiled when Eleanor nodded. "And you're ready to jump back into it all so soon? You've been gone for almost a year – some things have changed." Again Eleanor nodded, and again, Lucius smiled. "I'm sure you'll figure everything out, and I'll make sure you've got all the information you need. And now, I'll leave you to your work." He clapped her on the shoulder and gave it a squeeze before heading into his office and shutting the door.

Eleanor avidly worked on the slideshows for another hour before her steam ran out and her attention wandered. She brought up her internet browser and typed in the web address for her favourite Gotham newspaper. A child-like smile lit up her face as the front page loaded and a large, high definition image of Batman leaving a broken down building where he had left three men handcuffed to metal pipes. Excitement welled in her stomach and she devoured the article. Then, she searched for more. She had been gone for a long time, and she had a lot of Batman related information to catch up on. Her little-girl crush rose to the surface and she had to force herself to close the window after a while and continue her work.

Around two o'clock, just as she was getting ready to head out for lunch, Lucius dropped a thick folder on her desk and asked her to input the financial data from the last series of military products into the computer so it could go on the company record.

"Sorry to do that to you Eleanor," Lucius said with an apologetic smile. "You can start after your lunch break if you want, just please make sure it's done by the end of the day."

"What's this Lucius?" a new voice asked. "Ordering Eleanor around on her first day back?"

Eleanor and Lucius raised their eyebrows at Bruce Wayne as he appeared seemingly out of no where. "It's no problem Mr. Fox," she said without taking her eyes from the billionaire smiling down at her. "I'll get it done."

Lucius nodded once. "All right. I'll see you both later." And he left, heading back into his office, a knowing smile on his face.

Eleanor rose to her feet just as Bruce took a step forward and they ended up a little more than a foot apart. For a few long, tense moments, neither said anything – they just looked at each other. Rather, Bruce looked and Eleanor stared him down. She always found herself a little put off when he decided to randomly show up, but she didn't really mind. She liked Bruce. A lot. And she'd missed him. She was glad to see him, but she wasn't going to tell him that right away.

"It's good to see you back safe, Eleanor," he said.

She smiled with one corner of her mouth. "It's good to be back."

"I'm upset that you didn't contact me, or anyone for that matter, while you were gone."

Something tugged at the back of her mind, but she ignored it, thinking it was just something she'd forgotten to do. "Yeah, well, you'll just have to forgive me for that. I needed a break from everyone in and everything to do with Gotham. But now I'm back, and I'll be around as much as I was before I left."

Bruce flashed his crooked smile and butterflies fluttered in Eleanor's stomach. "So how was your vacation?"

"It was excellent."

"How'd you like Moscow?"

"It was beautiful."

"And how does it feel to be home?"

"Great…" Something else tugged at the back of her mind. There was an ulterior motive to that question, she could tell, she could hear it. But what would it be? "What exactly do you want Bruce?"

He slid onto her desk and retained his smile. "Just to see my friend who has been gone for a year. Is that so wrong?"

Eleanor had the urge to slap him. "Stop putting on that face with me."

Bruce sighed. His shoulders dropped and Eleanor could see the change in him. She saw the smirking playboy fall away and the Bruce that was her friend surface. "I'm sorry Eleanor," he said, his voice quieter. "Hey, how would you like to go out and get something to eat for lunch? As a welcome home gift. I could tell you all of the Batman escapades you missed." When Eleanor's chest swelled with excitement, Bruce laughed. "What do you say?"

She was about to say yes, but the digital clock on the upper shelf of her desk caught her attention. It was almost two-thirty. The note said she had to be at the park at three. If she was going to keep up with this thing, she needed to be there. "I would love to Bruce, but I've got some things I have to do on my break." She flung her scarf around her neck, pulled her coat on and gave Bruce a quick hug. "It's good to see you, Bruce. Sorry from running off like this." She smiled. "We'll talk later?" She waited for his nod, grabbed her purse and then waved and headed for the elevator.

She didn't see his smirk.

Outside, Eleanor hailed a cab. As the vehicle headed towards North City Park, skepticism assailed Eleanor's mind. What was she doing in this cab, heading towards a park where a present was waiting from an unknown suitor? Why was she excited? Why couldn't she wait to get there? What was her problem? She shouldn't be excited, she should be worried. Someone might be stalking her. Someone might be planning to kill her. No, no, that was silly. She'd been watching too much TV. She'd go with her original plan, and follow this thing until she could figure out who was doing this, who was leading her on this chase. Yeah, that was a good idea. Still, it was weird how well the dress fit… Eleanor had tried it on last night and it was perfect. Now, the designer the dress had come from had Eleanor's measurements since she had bought from them before, but still, it was weird.

"What the hell am I doing?" she asked herself, holding her head in her hands.

"We're at the park, ma'am."

Eleanor paid the driver and climbed out onto the sidewalk. A light snow was falling, dusting the dead, brown grasses and icing the bare trees and the lush pines. Her breath formed a cloud in front of her face as she exhaled, and the heels of her boots clicked on the pavement as she walked. The note hadn't said where in North City Park to go, but she figured if she walked along the paths, she'd find it eventually.

And she did. She wandered along the main path and at ten after three, she found herself standing in front of one of the large fountains scattered throughout the park. On the statue of an angel sitting in the middle of the half-frozen pool of water was another piece of white paper and a pair of high-heeled, strappy black sandals.

Eleanor rolled her eyes and crossed the lawn. Lying on the wide rim of the fountain was a stick with a hook on the end. She set down her purse, picked up the tool and snatched the note out of the snow. Water spots had blurred some of the typed words, but they were still legible.

_Eleanor,_

_I know you're probably having doubts about this game. You're probably wondering  
__who is doing this and why and all sorts of stuff like that. You're also probably  
__worried about your safety. Don't worry about that. I would never harm you intentionally.  
__This is just a bit of fun. A way to welcome you home. Trust me. You're fine. Your  
__next gift will be on the roof of Wayne Tower tomorrow night after work. _

And there were more song lyrics beneath the note.

_Days are passing so slowly  
Hours turning into weeks  
And I am feeling so lonely  
I guess I'll have to wait and see _

With time on my shoulders  
I'm closer to the ground  
But though I'm growing older  
I'm glad to stick around

I am waiting all alone  
Ready for our bliss  
Counting down until you're home  
I am waiting for your kiss

Nights are colder than ever  
With no one in my loving arms  
I know I'll feel so much better  
When you and I are 'neath the stars 

Holding the shoes in one hand and the note in the other, Eleanor sank down onto the rim around the fountain, staring. The song lyrics had brought a lump to her throat, as did the note. She was speechless, and her breaths would only come in short, shallow gasps. The note crumbled in her hand as it sporadically balled into a fist and tears of happiness bubbled in her eyes.

Christmas was probably going to be a lot of fun this year.

---

**Author's Note... **It's 12:25 am! That's a little worse than last time... Oh well. As long as it's done on December 24th. That's what matters... I'll just have to step it up because I can NOT be up this late on Christmas Eve. I get up at like, 6 o'clock, so I'd be dead tired and we can't have that on Christmas. And I apologize for any typos. It's late/early. I have two exams left. And, ask Shauna, I'm having major issues even speaking. Anyways, enjoy the fic.


	3. Day Three

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

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Song: "The Distance" by Bon Jovi

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**Our Songs  
**Day Three //

"Our top story this morning is, of course, The Batman has foiled another drug ring. Last night around midnight, Gotham PD arrived at the warehouse and found all of their suspects and more unconscious and handcuffed."

Eleanor smiled rather deviously and took another sip of her tea. Watching the morning news and hearing about Batman was one thing she had missed tremendously. She had quite settled back into her crush on the hero of Gotham City, and she still fantasized about finding out who he was, although she was pretty close to one hundred percent certain that it was Bruce. She would never confront him about it or anything, but she keep her thoughts to herself, and the idea of Bruce being Batman, well, she liked it, and she didn't want to shatter that with the truth, whatever it was. She watched the grainy footage of the caped blur of darkness leap across the buildings as he escaped the scene and she swooned.

Suddenly, the image on the TV changed and Eleanor rolled her eyes. It was almost time to head to work, but first, another cup of tea. As she entered the kitchen area of her loft and plugged in the kettle the phone rang.

"Hello?"

_"Hey Eleanor. It's Adam." _

"Oh hey! What's up? I was just getting ready to head into work."

_"I know. I was just calling to welcome you home and to apologize for not coming to see you yesterday. Things are really busy at work. I managed to make it up to your office around three, but Mr. Fox said you were on your lunch break."_

"Yeah, I was. It's all right Adam, I guessed you were busy. Mr. Wayne was the only one besides Mr. Fox who actually talked to me about my vacation yesterday." Eleanor smiled, picturing her friend on the other end of the line.

"_Oh you talked to Mr. Wayne, did you?"_

"Shut up Adam," she said, laughing.

"_Just teasin' you."_

"I know. Hey, how about we meet for lunch today? If you've got time that is." Adam was an engineer. He was busy all the time.

_"Uhm… I should have time around two. Meet in the upstairs cafeteria?" _

"Yeah. That sounds good. I'll tell you about my vacation then."

_"Good. I can't wait to hear about it. Well, I'll let you finish getting ready for work. See you later."_

"Yup. See ya." Eleanor kept her smile as she hung up the phone and unplugged the nearly boiling kettle. She poured herself another cup of tea and grabbed an apple and headed into the living room. She stood in front of the large window, sipped her tea and suddenly wondered at how lonely and big her loft seemed without the fuzzy bulk of a Siberian husky gallivanting around. "Maybe I should get another dog…" she murmured, taking a juicy bite of her apple.

Once her tea was finished, Eleanor pulled on her plaid wool coat and grabbed her big, black leather purse and headed down to the parking garage to head off to work. The cement structure was very cold, and it was snowing slowly outside. Her blue car stood alone in the back corner of the middle floor, and as she walked over to it, she realized something was wrong. Or, rather, off. Eleanor's stride slowed and she cautiously approached the vehicle. Tucked under the windshield wiper was one blood-coloured rose.

Her heart leapt into her throat. Her head swooned.

She picked up the flower and brought it to her nose. The sweet smell reminded her of summer and banished the chill air from around her. The rose would have had to come from a florist, and judging by the shape of the flower, it was a high end one. In a sort of trance, Eleanor climbed into her car and tied the rose to her review mirror using the excess string from a bracelet that Adam's daughter Riley had made for her; Eleanor was Riley's godmother. And then, for a while, she sat there and just stared at the rose, letting the colour soak into her mind and her thoughts to wander.

Until she realized she was going to be late for work.

No matter how fast she drove.

Frazzled by the time she got to Wayne Tower, Eleanor bulled through her coworkers with a single-minded determination to get to her desk and just sit for a moment before she started work. She just needed a moment. Just to calm down. She made it to the elevator and pressed herself into the corner as the rest of the passengers made their way inside the car, and the doors shut. In the crowd, Eleanor spotted the head of hair which belonged to her receptionist friend Jessica, but couldn't get her attention. Everyone else got off on floors below hers and when Eleanor was alone, she sunk down to the floor and sighed, closing her eyes. The elevator stopped with a ding and she clambered to her feet, huffed and strode to her desk, very distracted, and sat down.

Yelped and stood right back up again.

Bruce Wayne was sitting in her chair.

"What the hell?!" she yelped, spinning around to glare dangerously at him. "_Why _are you in my chair? What are you doing here?"

He just smirked and grabbed her waist and pulled her back down into his lap. "I just came to say hello before I head into some meetings. And you look rather distraught, sort of like you could use a friend." Bruce's smirk shifted into the real-Bruce-friendly-smile.

Eleanor settled into Bruce's chest a little bit. "I was late for work."

"Oh, by twenty minutes. You don't even need the money, Eleanor. Sometimes, I don't understand why you work."

"Because I'd be bored out of my mind if I didn't. It takes up my time. But anyways, I was late, and I've just had… an interesting time since I got back. It's all kind of trying, especially when you're fighting off jet lag."

"I'm sure you can handle it."

Eleanor smiled more and shifted her weight so their faces were closer. "Oh, I'll deal with it." The urge to kiss Bruce appeared and shocked Eleanor into realizing what she was doing. She put her hands on his chest and pushed backwards, lifting herself from his lap. She would not fall into that hole again. She stood in front of him for a moment and then grabbed her purse from the floor. "I've got to go downstairs." She started to walk away.

He grabbed her wrist. "What is with you?"

Eleanor yanked her arm away from him. "Nothing. I just have to go downstairs. Check on some things." She flung her purse onto her shoulder and started towards the elevator.

Bruce persisted. He followed her. "You would talk to me before you left, Eleanor," he said. There was a tone of finality in his voice. "There is something up with you."

"What? Just because I won't flirt with you anymore? Maybe I grew up."

"Eleanor-"

"I'm _fine._" She stepped into the elevator, keeping her cobalt eyes on Bruce. He flashed her a half-hearted smile as the doors closed and Eleanor sighed heavily. _God, I hate myself sometimes, _she thought.

The elevator dropped down to the engineering floor and Eleanor stepped off, heading right over to where Adam's desk was. Luckily, he was at his desk, his light blue eyes glues to a pile of paperwork. She shuffled quickly over and flopped down in his cushy chair that he currently wasn't occupying. He turned and raised one rather busy eyebrow at her.

"And you're down here because?" he asked, smirking.

"Bruce Wayne."

Adam laughed. "Oh, you suck. You should keep on that guy. You two are totally hot for each other." He laughed again and sat on his desk, facing Eleanor.

"Adam. Stop acting like a teenager."

"Sorry. You can stay down here as long as you have to. You can remotely access your computer from that desktop." He pointed to the smallest computer on his massive desk, which was, by no means, small. "But don't touch anything else or," he paused, clearing his throat so he could move it to a higher pitch for comedic effect, "I kill you."

"Right."

Eleanor worked from Adam's office for most of the day, phoning Mr. Fox to tell him where she was. She creatively used the excuse that she was checking up on the product which was due to be shipped in a few weeks while she did her charts and whatnot. At one-thirty, Adam finished and he and Eleanor headed upstairs for lunch. They talked about anything and everything, and Eleanor told him about her gift hunt. Adam thought it was a neat idea. When they finished, Eleanor went back to her desk and worked the rest of the day away. As she was closing down her computer, her mind raced back to where she had kept it distracted from all day.

The present.

She gathered up her things and nearly ran to elevator, letting the excitement come full on this time. The elevator shot upwards, uninterrupted by stopping, until it reached the top floor. Eleanor then went into the stairwell and climbed upwards to the narrow door which led to the roof. Luckily, the door was unlocked. Eleanor figured whoever was leading her on this adventure or hunt or whatever had arranged for the door to stay that way. She stepped out into the chilly air and wrapped her coat tighter around herself. The wind was ridiculously powerful up on the roof. Slowly, she made her way to the only place the present could be hidden.

There was a small box, another note and another rose.

_Eleanor,_

_By now you're probably rather excited about all this. Good. I did this for you,  
__just to show you how great you are. Be at home at five tomorrow..._

_There's a train out in the distance, destination still unknown  
Far away where no one's waiting, so far from home, so far from home _

There's a rose outside your window, the first snow is falling down  
Like that lonesome whistle blowing  
I keep on going, keep on going...

Close your eyes and see my blue skies breaking through these dark clouds  
You are the light  
In my mind I see your red dress and my arms are reaching through the night  
I'll never give up the fight  
I'll go the distance

There's a thread that runs between us pulling 'cross this great divide  
It's only there for the believers  
Don't stop believing, don't stop believingClose your eyes and see my blue skies breaking through these dark clouds  
You are the light  
In my mind I see your red dress and your arms are reaching through the night  
I'll never give up the fight  
I'll go the distance, I'll go the distance

There's a never-ending story that begins with you and I  
Like the rose outside your window  
Don't let it die, don't let it die

Close your eyes and see my blue skies breaking through these dark clouds  
You are the light  
In my mind I see your red dress and your arms are reaching through the night

Close your eyes and see my blue skies breaking through these dark clouds  
You are the light  
In my mind I see your red dress and my arms are reaching through the night  
I'll never give up the fight 

Eleanor, who had squatted to better reach the present, fell backwards into a pile of snow. The water seeped through her pants, but she didn't even notice. Tears were falling silently down her cheeks and her hand was shaking. Red dress… roses… Someone seemed to really cared about her. Slowly, she opened the envelope and pulled out a picture in a beautiful, modern style frame. It was a picture of her and Blaze taken the summer before she left. The picture had been taken on the expansive front lawn of Wayne Manor.

Bruce had taken that picture.

---

**Author's Note… **Yeah, so I'm behind a day. After my last exam, I'll be able to do two chapters in one day and get back on track.


	4. Day Four

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "Unintended" by Muse

---

**Our Songs  
**Day Four //

Eleanor awoke around nine o'clock. She made herself a mug of hot chocolate and lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling and slowly sipping the hot drink. The note had said to be at home at five, which wouldn't be a problem because today was her day off. She wondered how whoever was leading her on this hunt had known that. It _had _to be someone close to her, or someone who had access to her files, her schedule, or to someone who knew her really well. She had this nagging feeling that she _knew _who was doing this, that she should be able to pick out the person.

Bruce Wayne kept coming to mind, but there was no way he'd spend this time, this money on _her. _Yes, they were friends, and a while ago, they had almost been more, but she had put a stop to that when she'd left. Bruce was meant for Rachel. At least, that's what had always been assumed. And they made a good pair. But, that hadn't even happened because Rachel had been uncomfortable with Bruce's public playboy persona.

Wow, this was turning into one hell of a journey.

"Damn it…" Eleanor rolled onto her side and deposited her empty mug on the coffee table before going back to staring into oblivion. _This is just so… exhilarating. And confusing. _She looked at the clock. It was nine forty-five. She groaned. "Today is going to be a long day."

She got to her feet and headed into her room, deciding that going for a walk would kill some time. Eleanor exchanged her pajama pants and tank top for dark jeans and a black turtleneck sweater. She pulled on her socks and boots and wrapped a scarf around her neck before pulling on her form-fitting wool coat, buckling the belt around it, and shoving her hands into her red gloves. She locked the door and headed downstairs where she stood a moment, looking out the glass door to the snow-covered street before stepping into the rather freezing temperature and heading off at a leisurely pace to North City Park. On the way, a light snow started to fall, dusting the slushy streets with a fresh coating and giving everything a Christmas card look. There wasn't much traffic, and Eleanor's walk was rather uneventful.

Once she was at the park, she found a peaceful clearing where there was no one else. She sat down in the snow and stared at the dark evergreen trees filling the park. And she thought. About nothing and everything and just tried to pass the time. It didn't take long for the snow to sink through her jeans and for her butt to freeze, but she ignored it, not even caring if she got sick. She was content and the park was peaceful.

"You know Ellie, you could sit on a bench."

The nickname caught her off guard almost as much as the fact that she hadn't heard the man appear. Only two people ever called her Ellie, her father and Bruce, and that voice did not belong to her father, and Bruce hadn't called her that in a long, long time, but that's who it was.

"Oh, that's no fun Bruce," she said quietly, careful to insert warning. She didn't want a repeat of yesterday. "You know me. I like fun."

He sat down beside her and exhaled a long breath creating a thick cloud in front of his face. Eleanor briefly looked at what he was wearing: jeans, a thick sweater and a wool coat with a gray scarf around his neck. Obviously, he had just been out walking or something. That was odd for Bruce, to be in Gotham City, in the "rich" part of Gotham City and not be in a suit or something fancy. Oh well.

"What are you doing out here, Ellie?"

"Just thinking."

"It's cold. Why don't you and I go get a coffee or something?"

Eleanor fell backwards, extending her arms to her sides and proceeded to make a snow angel. "I don't want to be inside where there's a clock right now. And no, I'm not going to tell you why I don't want to be near a clock, so don't even ask." She finished her snow angel and just lay there, squinting up at the grey sky.

Bruce lay down too. "OK."

The two of them lay there for a while, and Eleanor didn't mind his intrusion on her privacy. She was actually rather glad for it. Bruce was himself today. His respectful, friendly self. When the cold finally got to her, Eleanor rolled onto her side so her chin was on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at her and gave a small grin. Their faces were only a few inches apart. There were lots of unsaid things hanging in the air between them, but right then, neither of them cared.

"Cold?" he breathed. She nodded. Bruce helped her to her feet and together they walked to the park entrance where one of Bruce's more inconspicuous cars was parked. He opened the door for Eleanor. "I'll drive you home." He walked around and climbed in behind the wheel.

"Why isn't Alfred driving you around?"

"I wanted some time alone." Bruce looked at her sideways. "To think."

In the parking garage of her building a few minutes later, Eleanor gave Bruce a friendly hug and a kiss on the cheek, her silent thanks. Upstairs, she looked at the clock. It was almost eleven. Six hours. She sighed and started rubbing a hot bath, dropping a bubble solution with a light sent in and closing her eyes as she sat on the edge of her large bathtub. Eleanor undressed, threw her clothes in the hamper, grabbed a magazine and slid into the water. When the water was at an appropriate level, she turned the taps off with her feet and let the hot water thaw out her body, trying to keep herself from getting too excited.

Sufficiently warmed, Eleanor drained the tub, wrapped herself in her thick black housecoat, exited the bathroom and grabbed the phone. Her friend from work Jessica had the same days off she did – Saturdays – and was always willing to talk. She dialed the number and waited. One ring and her bubbly friend picked up.

_"Hello?" _

"Hey Jess. It's Eleanor."

_"Hey! What's up on __**your **__day off?" _

"Ah not much. Just hanging around my house. Enjoying the peace."

_"What are you talking about? You were off for a year. What more peace do you need?" _Jessica laughed and then said, _"Well whatever. Are you happy to come home to all this snow?"_

"Actually I am. I'm happy to come home to snow and Christmas."

_"And Bruce Wayne? He's gone up to your floor twice since you got back." _

Eleanor could hear Jessica smiling as she answered. "Bruce Wayne has nothing to do with me being happy to come home. Frankly, I could have done without his intrusive visits." _But not today. Today, I was glad for his intrusion, _she thought. "I'm not crushing on him twenty-four seven like you."

_"Well sorry if he's the hottest think walking." _

Eleanor settled herself in the corner of the couch. "Oh Jess, he's not _that _hot. There's better-looking men who work downstairs with Adam."

_"You still hung up on Adam?"_

"Uhm, no. Hello, he's married and I'm the godmother to his daughter. He's my friend."

_"Then did you meet someone while you were traveling? You used to think Mr. Wayne was pretty great."_

"Yeah I did, but it wasn't anything serious. He travels for a living. We had a fling in Russia."

_"Oo, you have all the fun Eleanor. Why did Bruce Wayne come up to see you?"_

"You've got such a one-track mind." She sighed. "He came up to welcome me home. Nothing else. Oh, wait, he wanted to ask me out to lunch." Eleanor smirked to herself, and flicked her eyes towards the clock. One o'clock-ish.

_"Can I be you for one day, please?" _

"Sure, but Bruce isn't supposed to come to the office for almost a week."

Jessica huffed playfully. _"Fine. Well, I should head off. It's my dad's birthday today and my mom's having some sort of feast. I'll talk you later. Bye."_

"Bye." Eleanor hung up and flopped her head backwards on the couch.

The rest of the afternoon passed rather slowly, and Eleanor spent it mindlessly watching television. At some point, she dressed herself in a black tank top and slightly baggy light-washed jeans. She brushed her hair, watched some more TV and kept checking the clock roughly every ten minutes. At four thirty, Eleanor was too excited to sit still and began pacing around the loft. When the clock struck five, the doorbell rang at the same time and she jumped. She ran to the door and flung it open.

At her feet sat a box as large as the one her dress had come in.

Eleanor bent over and tried to pick it up, but found it seriously heavy. She sighed and used her feet to push it inside. The door shut behind her and she sank down with the box between her legs. She tore off the wrapping paper and took the lid off the box.

Inside was a smaller box.

She repeated the process on that box.

And inside it, was a smaller box.

Eleanor rolled her eyes and unwrapped the third box. Inside was an even smaller box. But it was ornately wrapped and she knew it was the final box. She lifted it out and held it close to her chest as she pulled off the blue ribbon and unwrapped the silver and blue paper, revealing a large flat box with hinges at the back, the kind that jewelry often came in. Shaking slightly, Eleanor opened the box. She always got nervous when she was given jewelry.

The first thing she saw, however, was the note.

_Eleanor,_

_I have nothing special to say to you today, because I think the present says it all. _

_Be at the mall at six-thirty tomorrow. Your gift will be there. Here's your song._

_You could be my unintended  
Choice to live my life extended  
You could be the one I'll always love  
You could be the one who listens to my deepest inquisitions  
You could be the one I'll always love _

I'll be there as soon as I can  
But I'm busy mending broken pieces of the life I had before

First there was the one who challenged  
All my dreams and all my balance  
She could never be as good as you

You could be my unintended  
Choice to live my life extended  
You should be the one I'll always love

I'll be there as soon as I can  
But I'm busy mending broken pieces of the life I had before

I'll be there as soon as I can  
But I'm busy mending broken pieces of the life I had before

Before you 

Eleanor sniffed back her tears and pushed the note off the box. As it fluttered to the floor she sobbed and clapped a hand over her mouth, leaning her head backwards until it settled against the door.

The necklace that was lying on the velvet padding was, without a question, the necklace that had belonged to Naomi's great-great grandmother. It was a priceless heirloom and Naomi would not have given it to just anyone. The chain and the settings were made of white gold. Diamonds and rubies filled out the settings in the chain and a large teardrop ruby was the centre gem. Eleanor had tried the necklace on when she was little, and then, it had fallen far down on her chest, but now it would probably settle just above her breasts. It was a beautiful piece and the fact that it was hers now brought choking sobs to her throat and tears to her eyes. Whoever was orchestrating the game had known what giving her the necklace would mean.

For a long while, Eleanor just sat, leaning backwards against the door, and cried.

She couldn't believe there was someone who cared about her like this. She couldn't believe there was someone she knew that cared about her that much.

---

**Author's Note... **Wow, I am so behind. I have to do three chapters in one day to catch up. Oi vey. I should be able to get it done though, I have nothing to do until January, so I've got lots of time. Oh, and just a couple notes. This fanfiction has nothing to do with my other Batman fanfics, the "I kill you." in chapter three is from a skit called "Achkmed the Dead Terrorist", look it up on youtube, it's funny, and I apologize for the randomness of this fic, and also for the repetitiveness. I don't know if any of you feel like it's repeating itself, but I do, and I'm trying to stop that. Trying to make everyday life interesting is hard when there's no supernatural crime going on... Oh well, I am trying. I'm glad you all like it so far.


	5. Day Five

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "Rain Song" by Led Zeppelin

---

**Our Songs  
**Day Five //

The thing Eleanor hated the most about winter was the fact that it was dark at five-thirty. It made walking around downtown Gotham at night scarier than usual and everything seem way more sinister. Shadows started looking like fiends, especially in the orange glow cast by the streetlights onto the snow. Eleanor was walking along one of the main roads currently, and kept looking at her watch. The closer to six-thirty it got, the harder the excitement was to deal with, and she still had an hour to go. Thinking that walking around the mall might pass the time quicker, she jumped down they long alley which served as a shortcut and sped up her pace; she clutched her large purse tightly. Mugging was high in the area. Eleanor knew the shortcut probably wasn't a good idea, but she was impatient. The whole hunt thing was sending her senses out of whack.

She was about halfway through the dark alley, in the darkest section, when something brushed her arm. A little spooked, she quickened her pace to almost a jog. The thing brushed her arm again, a little more forcefully and knocked her off balance. Eleanor stopped to regain herself and found her way to the alley wall. A hand grabbed her wrist and suddenly yanked her away from the wall and tossed her towards the opposite one. She managed to stop herself from hitting the wall at full force, but her purse was pulled from her shoulder and someone grabbed at her pockets.

Eleanor couldn't see her attacker, so she flailed her fists, looking wildly for a target.

There was a sound like something metallic on the bricks above her and a few pieces of rubble fell on her head. A woosh surrounded her, echoing in her ears and the presence of her attacker vanished. A shape darker than the surrounding night passed over her field of vision. A sound like repetitive punching and an arm around her waist and Eleanor was being lifted into the air. Her vision returned as her feet touched solid ground again.

"What in the hell?" She flipped some of her hair out of her face.

"Taking that shortcut wasn't a good idea."

_That voice. _Eleanor's head snapped around to her right and her cobalt eyes landed firmly on Batman. "Well no shit. I'm kind of in a hurry."

"You've got time."

Before Eleanor could ask what the hell he meant by that, Batman handed her the overly large purse, shot his grapple hook and was gone. Grumbling, Eleanor found her way out of the alley and back on track to the mall. It took a while for her to realize what had just transpired, and she froze in her tracks, causing the man behind her to bump into her. She only paused for a moment before she continued walking. When she looked at her watch it was six o'clock.

The note hadn't told her where in the mall her present would be, but she was sure she had the right mall because it was the only one within range of Wayne Tower that would allow her to be there at six-thirty. She wandered, checking all the fountains, statues, seating areas, and everywhere else she could think of, and maintained a steady checking of her watch.

_Damn this mall seems a lot bigger when you're looking for something small. _Eleanor stood in the middle of one of the seating areas and planted her fists on her hips. She was running over a mental map of the mall trying to figure out where she hadn't been. Eventually she gave up on that and found a real map. _I am seriously out of sorts here. I hope I can last until Christmas Eve. I might go crazy. _Eleanor smiled to herself as she scanned the map. She located the hallway missing from her search, memorized the route and set off.

The hallway ended in a large circular area with a fountain in the middle and comfortable looking benches surrounding it. A man was sitting facing the hallway, holding a present in his lap. When he saw Eleanor he smiled and waved her over.

"You must be Eleanor Black." He looked down at his watch. "You're a little late, but I've still got time." He handed her the present. "But you can't open it now. First I have to give you your song."

"You're not going to-"

The man began to sing in a beautifully smooth voice.

Eleanor felt her face redden as she lowered her head and covered her eyes.

He sang:

_This is the springtime of my loving - the second season I am to know  
You are the sunlight in my growing - so little warmth I've felt before  
It isn't hard to feel me glowing - I watched the fire that grew so low _

It is the summer of my smiles - flee from me Keepers of the Gloom  
Speak to me only with your eyes. It is to you I give this tune  
Ain't so hard to recognize - These things are clear to all from  
time to time

Talk talk - I've felt the coldness of my winter  
I never thought it would ever go. I cursed the gloom that set upon us  
But I know that I love you so

These are the seasons of emotion and like the winds they rise and fall  
This is the wonder of devotion - I see the torch we all must hold  
This is the mystery of the quotient - Upon us all a little rain must fall 

Red as the ribbon on the present, Eleanor offered a meek smile at the singer and slowly began to unwrap the gift. She was very aware of all the people watching her, but she pulled the paper off nonetheless and exposed the shining white gold wrist cuffs inside. Gasps of astonishment sounded around her and took the thoughts right from her head. She admired the gift for a moment before picking up the note.

_Eleanor,_

_I hope the man I hired to sing to you didn't embarrass you too much. I'm just  
__trying to keep things interesting. Tomorrow, to get your gift, all you have to do  
__is look out your window at midnight. Tomorrow, you are halfway through the  
__game and halfway to finding me out. I hope you're having fun, although I'm  
__pretty sure you are. _

_God, this is just so… so… Oh, I don't even know anymore. This is just so strange… I've never had anything like this happen to me before… _She tucked the note back into the box and tucked the whole thing into her purse.

"You're very lucky, Ms. Black, to have someone who cares for you so much. Do you have any idea who it is?"

"Well, yeah, but I keep doubting myself. I don't suppose you saw whoever was doing this?"

"I'm afraid I didn't. Sorry."

Eleanor smiled at the man. "It's all right. Thank you." She gathered herself together and started towards the nearest exit, planning to call a cab and get home as quickly as possible. She wanted to be at home to calm the hell down. She was way too wound up.

"Eleanor?"

She jumped. "Oh Alfred, it's you."

"I'm sorry," the elderly man said, placing a kind hand on her arm and giving her the most warming smile she'd seen in a long time. "I didn't mean to startle you. How are you?"

"A little wound, if you couldn't tell. And you?"

"I'm peachy, thank you. I'm just doing a bit of shopping and looking for something to buy Master Bruce for Christmas. But what do you buy a billionaire who has everything he wants and needs?" That earned the smile he was looking for from Eleanor. "What brings you to the mall?"

"A… game."

Alfred raised a bushy white eyebrow at her, but didn't press the issue. "Can I tell Master Bruce to expect you at the charity ball this year?"

It took Eleanor a moment to figure out what he was talking about. "Oh, no… I wasn't planning on attending the ball. This game that I'm being led on was a lot more than I anticipated, and on top of the jet lag that still hasn't really gone away, I'm just too tired. I'm not very fond of parties in the first place, and I don't think I could handle something as big as Bruce's charity ball."

"That's understandable. How was your vacation anyways?"

Eleanor shifted her position and transferred the weight from one foot to another. "It was excellent. Amazing. Best year of my life. But I am happy to be home. I missed everyone terribly."

Alfred smiled the smile that said his thoughts were devious. That usually meant he was thinking something along the lines of finding Bruce a suitable woman to settle down with. "Well, I can tell you that Master Bruce missed you more than he'll probably ever let on, and your parents were always calling the manor, asking if either of us had talked to you." His smile became fatherly. "It seems you upset many people with your lack of communication."

"I knew I would." Eleanor looked down at her watch. "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I haven't eaten supper yet and I've got some wrapping to do." She gave Alfred a quick hug. "It's good to see you again. Merry Christmas."

"And the same to you, Eleanor."

Eleanor smiled once more and then headed for the exit. All she really wanted to do was get home.

---

**Author's Note… **This one is shorter, sorry. I'm going to try and get a couple chapters up tonight and tomorrow and probably the night after. I WILL GET IT DONE ON TIME.


	6. Day Six

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "For The Nights I Can't Remember" by Hedley

---

**Our Songs  
**Day Six //

The aroma of a cheese omelet and bacon awoke her around lunchtime. Too bad the smells were only in her dream, but she knew exactly what she was going to make for breakfast when she walked into the kitchen on Saturday morning. It didn't take long to cook up the omelet and the bacon was finished in the microwave in only a few moments. Eleanor took the food and a glass of orange juice into the living room when it was finished and turned on the television to watch the midday news, which turned out to be mostly about the robbery Batman had foiled after he had rescued her from the mugging.

As she watched the footage, she smiled to herself remembering her rescue. She had been snarky to him, but she had been wound up, scared out of her wits. It hadn't even really dawned on her that Batman was standing in front of her, not even later when she had stopped in the mall hallway. Batman had saved her. A sense of euphoria took over and she smiled wider as she half-watched some news story about the upcoming charity ball.

Eleanor carried her dishes into the kitchen and dumped them in the sink just as the doorbell rang. Wondering who it could be, she opened the door and found her mother smiling back at her, red hair in its standard tight bun at the back of her head. "Mom?"

Naomi dropped the bags she was carrying and flung her arms around her daughter, holding her tightly. She involuntarily started crying. "Oh my baby! I'm so happy you're back and safe and oh my God I missed you so much!" Naomi kissed Eleanor's forehead and both cheeks and hugged her very tightly. "Why didn't you call us you stupid girl? Oh, my baby."

"Mom, mom, I'm fine. It's OK." Eleanor gently pushed her mother away and smiled.

"Oh, I know, but I can't believe you didn't contact us at all. No postcards, e-mails or anything! What were you doing?"

"I was just staying involved in my traveling. I took the vacation to get away from my life in Gotham city. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, mom, I swear." Eleanor hugged her mother again. "Now, what are you doing here? Don't you usually work?"

"I took the day off to help you decorate your loft, because I know you wouldn't get it done if I didn't. I brought all our extra decorations over and I know you've got some stashed around here. So let's bring some Christmas joy into this modern hole." Naomi was smiling brightly with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Where do you keep your decorations anyways?" She started poking around the loft. "It's not like you've got a terrible lot of space in here."

Eleanor walked to the hallway closet and pulled open the doors revealing a huge walk-in space. "In here. Stand here and I'll pass out the boxes." She stepped into the closet and shuffled around for a moment before she found the dusty plastic bins. Eleanor pushed them into the hallway and Naomi moved them into a more open area. There were three boxes. "I don't know how many of the lights actually work and some things might be broken. I mean, I wasn't here last year and a lot of things got moved around."

"Ah, it's all right. I've got spare lights and lots of decorations."

For the next several hours, Eleanor and Naomi turned the loft into a centre of Christmas cheer. They set up the expensive fake tree first – Eleanor wished she could have a real tree but it was too difficult to get it upstairs and her neighbour had an allergy to pine trees – and got it all decorated in Eleanor's red and gold motif, and proceeded to wrap garland and lights around the balcony railing outside, and some of the metal beams on the industrial ceiling. All of the candles were replaced with Christmas-coloured and pine scented ones; all the pillows and blankets and tablecloths and placemats and towels and cloths were changed into red and green and gold. Stuffed animals sat in corners around the loft, adding that childish element that every house needed.

When they finished, the mother and daughter stood in the middle of the living room, jazz Christmas music playing in the background and smiles on their faces.

"It looks perfect. Thanks mom," Eleanor said embracing her again. "How about we order a pizza and watch some movies? Like we did when I was little."

When Naomi nodded, Eleanor let her mother pick the movies while she rummaged around for the number of her favourite pizza place in her all-too messy drawers. She finally found it, dialed and ordered a large pepperoni with extra cheese, garlic bread and pop. When it arrived twenty-five minutes later, Eleanor grabbed two plates and headed into the living room where Naomi was sitting on the floor with pillows between her back and the couch and a blanket over her lap. The coffee table was pushed to one side. Eleanor set the pizza box down and dished out the food and they became completely involved in the Christmas movies Naomi had managed to find on television. They both felt like Eleanor was a little girl again.

Around eleven-thirty, after they had cleaned up the dishes and boxes from dinner and had put away the empty Christmas boxes, Naomi gathered her stuff up and left. Her and Liam had plans tomorrow and she couldn't be sleepy. Eleanor walked her mom back to her car and, when she got back up to her loft, flopped down on the couch and stared at the black screen of the TV.

The clock striking midnight startled her.

"The gift!"

Eleanor felt stupid for having forgot all about it. She ran to the window and maneuvered the heavy pane upwards until it clicked into place. The chilly wind bit at her face as she stuck her head out the window and looked around and saw nothing. A slight whirring noise above her caught her attention, but she paid it no real mind because she thought it was a fan on top of the building or something.

And then a box hit her on the head.

"What the hell?" Eleanor looked up and saw the present dangling in midair, apparently suspended from nothing. She reached out and grabbed the box and pulled. The whirring noise took up again and the cable released from the box and shot up towards the roof. "I can catch him…" Eleanor whispered and was off like a shot, leaving the gift on the floor. She made it up to the roof in record time, but there was no one there. As the adrenaline started to wear off, she realized how cold the snow actually was on her bare feet and how her pajamas were not adequate protection against winter winds. "Shit…" she cursed. "Missed him." She wrapped her arms around herself and started to head back inside and stepped on something sharp, cutting her toe. One of the bat-shaped shuriken that Batman threw around. It must have ended up on her roof when he was chasing some bad guy or something… She reached down and picked it up before heading into the warmth of her building.

Sitting on the couch, wrapped in a thick blanket, Eleanor just stared at the tool, spinning it around in her fingers and marveling at the craftsmanship. There were tiny imperfections telling her Batman made them himself, and she admired it greatly. The brightly coloured box on the floor caught her attention again, and she set the news-dubbed batarang on the table before using her toes to pull the box towards her.

Eleanor unwrapped the box and found the note sitting on top of green tissue paper inside.

_Eleanor, _

_Be at the dog pound at twelve-thirty tomorrow for your next gift. Today, you're_

_halfway through this little game, and by now you've probably realized there is a _

_method to this madness. You are receiving from me the parts to an outfit. You will_

_find out what for soon enough, I promise. I can not wait to see you. _

"Can't wait to see me…?" Eleanor distractedly ran her fingers over the note, thinking about that statement. So in six days, on Christmas Eve, she was going to meet whoever was doing this? "Excellent," she murmured before looking at the song lyrics.

_I see it in the way you would do  
When no one else could ever get through  
Holding back till I come around  
Time and time again you wait for me to comin'  
And did you really look my way?  
Cause no one could've seen this coming  
I would never let you down  
If I was running backwards in full time _

So I can and I will and you'll see your hero come running  
Over and over tonight

And I do wanna love you  
If you see me running back  
And I do wanna try  
Because if falling for you girl is crazy  
Then I'm going out of my mind  
So hold back your tears this time

Me, I'm used to being tired and bloody  
But you believed that I could be somebody  
You put your world on hold for me  
Gave away to follow failure through the fire  
I need you to know I will  
Believe me girl I'm so tired of running  
I just wanna hold your hand  
Stare at you like you've got everything I need

And I can so I will and you'll see your hero come running  
Over and over tonight

And I do wanna love you  
If you see me running back  
And I do wanna try  
Because if falling for you girl is crazy  
Then I'm going out of my mind  
So hold back your tears this time

And what if I never said to you I was dynamite  
And what if I never told you I'm afraid to cry  
What if I never let you down  
And said I'm sorry for the nights I can't remember  
What if I never said to you I would try

And I do wanna love you  
(If you see me running back)  
And I do wanna try  
Because if falling for you girl is crazy  
Then I'm going out of my mind  
So hold back your tears this time

Hold back your tears this time 

Eleanor couldn't hold back her tears. The messages of love and apologies and everything else sweet in all of the songs she had been given with her gifts were starting to get to her. She didn't think she could wait six more days.

When she had gathered herself together, she pulled the tissue paper out the box and found a pair of red silk designer pajama pants. And underneath those, she found a designer black tank top. Her first thought was wondering how her admirer knew that outfit was her preferred sleep slash lounge wear. Her second thought was how comfortable the pants looked, and she immediately changed into the new clothes before cleaning up the box and heading into her bedroom. Her last thought before she went to sleep was how weird of a place the dog pound was to receive a gift. The obvious didn't even occur to her.

---

**Author's Note… **Ha, Eleanor's having a me moment. Half way! And five days to get six more chapters in. Ugh. XD


	7. Day Seven

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "Thousand Mile Wish" by Finger Eleven

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**Our Songs  
**Day Seven //

"Monday, oh how I hate thee."

Eleanor climbed into her car and thunked her head against the steering wheel with a loud groan. She didn't normally loathe the start of the week; she loved her job. But she was tired. The little sleep she had gotten the previous night had been fitful because her mind had been too full. Sucking up her exhaustion and banishing her thoughts about quitting, Eleanor turned the key in the ignition, put the car in gear and drove off to the unofficial centre of Gotham City: Wayne Tower.

Instead of going upstairs to her desk, she pressed the down button in the elevator and walked into the large storage area. The files and charts were waiting for her. Today was inventory day. Mr. Fox liked to know what was downstairs, what was being made in Wayne Enterprises sister organizations around the world, what was being developed in the engineering department, what was being shipped out of Gotham and what was being brought into Gotham. Essentially, inventory day meant Eleanor spent the whole day on her cell phone or the computer and walking around the building, talking ceaselessly. The upside – well, upside was a bit of a misleading term because Eleanor didn't mind inventory day – was that she got to talk to Adam and her friends in other departments that she didn't get to see on a regular basis.

She pulled off her wool coat and scarf and set them with her purse on the lone chair in the room. With a determined gaze around the large room, she set off, her boot heels clicking on the cement floor and her clipboard held in the crook of her arm. The aisles of discarded gadgets and equipment rose up around her and she smiled a little deviously. Eleanor pulled open the first drawer and sighed.

There was nothing there.

Which meant one of two things: either it had been pulled for further development or Bruce Wayne had taken it for his own personal use.

She rolled her eyes and marked the status on her chart before pulling open the next drawer. A few of the objects had been switched around, which made for a bit of a sorting nightmare, but other than those incidents, Eleanor made it through the first half of the huge room without any problems. When she started in on the back half of the room, she heard the distinctive click of the double doors at the end of the room. Eleanor looked up, but she didn't see anyone, so she turned back to her work.

A moment later, she ran into someone.

"Why, hello Eleanor."

Again, she rolled her eyes. "Morning Bruce."

He flashed her his playboy smile and leaned casually on one of the stone pillars of the room. "You're doing inventory today, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and I'm assuming that you've come to take some other gadget."

Again, he smiled. "You know me too well. I'll just grab it and get it out of your way. And of course I'll let you know what I take so I don't mess up your inventory."

Eleanor watched Bruce walk deeper into the area she hadn't taken inventory of yet and then turned back to the shelf she was working on. Bruce came over after he had retrieved what he wanted and read her the serial numbers so she could mark it down. As Bruce went to leave, Eleanor called him back.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

_I can't believe I'm actually going to ask this… _She sighed and ran her fingers backwards through her loose hair. "This may not be any of my business, but when my mom and I were talking, she mentioned that you and Rachel were, uh," Eleanor felt her cheeks flush and wanted to smack herself in the forehead, "not talking. I was wondering what happened… When I left, you two were close. Like, really close." She looked at the floor and really wanted to slap herself.

Bruce sighed. "You're right," he said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "It isn't really any of your business, but Naomi is right, Rachel and I aren't on the best terms."

Eleanor had to force herself to hide her elation. To hear it from Bruce was something different from hearing it from her mother, obviously. "Well, I can't say I'm upset, but I can feel a little sympathy, I know you two were more than friends." She twitched a smile. "I hope you two work things out." It was a lie, but Eleanor thought it would be the right thing to say then.

"No you're not." He was smiling.

"No, you're right – I'm not."

"What do you two have against each other anyways? I never really heard the whole story."

Eleanor set her clipboard down on the top of the shelf beside her and sighed, putting her weight on one hip and brushing her hair back from her face. "I was kind of a real bitch to her all through school. She used make fun of me for reading all the time and little things like that and I decided to get my revenge by rubbing it in her face that I was rich and she wasn't and that sort of thing. It was mostly just playground stuff until she found out that I was adopted. The teasing and name calling and all that escalated and she liked to… well, remind me that she was your best friend and I was no where near that special to you." Eleanor's cheeks blushed dark and she cleared her throat. "Things just worse until I punched her in the face one day before school and got suspended. We were just never able to rise above all that and we've never gotten along since." Eleanor feared Bruce's expression, but when she looked up at him again, he was smiling his sort of crooked smile at her.

"I remember the day you hit her."

Eleanor couldn't keep herself from smiling back. There was something in his demeanor, his expression that drew the emotion from her. "So do I."

Bruce left a moment later, leaving Eleanor to finish her morning of inventory. When she checked her watch, it was twelve on the dot. She grabbed her coat, scarf and bag and headed upstairs. Where she discovered it was snowing so hard she could just see the buildings on the other side of the street. With a sigh, she pulled out her cell phone, flipped it open and phoned a cab. Better someone else drive in this weather.

The cab ride was slow, and she arrived at the pound by the river around quarter to one. She gave the woman at the desk her name, and to her surprise, the woman smiled and handed her a standard white envelope with the number 13 written on it. At some point the previous night, Eleanor had realized her present was going to be a dog. The realization had shocked her, because that would mean whoever was orchestrating her journey would know her beloved Blaze had died, and that she wanted another dog. Shocked as she was, Eleanor figured the number on the envelope corresponded with a cage number and proceeded down the aisle.

When she arrived at cage thirteen – a smaller cage in the back corner – Eleanor's cobalt eyes fell on the most beautiful puppy she'd seen since she had picked out Blaze. She pressed her hand against the cage and the German Shepard barked happily, licking her palm in greeting.

Eleanor squatted and leaned backwards against the cage. She opened the envelope, pulled out the letter and read:

_Eleanor,_

_Your gift is a one year old puppy. He was abandoned in front of the pound only a  
__few months ago. I only spent a short while with him, but I know that he'll be the  
__perfect dog for you. He's had all his shot, is fixed and is, according to the ladies  
__at the pound, housebroken, but they said he could get a little rowdy. I expect he'll  
__need more walks than Blaze did, even when he was puppy. He doesn't have a name,  
__but you'll take care of that. I hope he brings a smile to your face, Eleanor. _

_Forgive me if now I wear the face of worry  
This time alone could never cause any doubt  
But I've been cold too long  
Such a strange time to find myself coming down as the rain  
With all these holes my love,  
To fill up from the middle  
This storm could stay all night _

So can you stay until we close our eyes  
'Till your dreams hold mine  
Just stay until we know we tried one more time

Cause laughing lovers can overcome their closest demons  
And they'll go on and they won't let go  
They saw something that they know  
Has never come so close  
Can it stay here for us, for now?

Can it stay until we know ourselves?  
I'm torn as I tell  
You're the story that I know and fell from  
I'm so far into your story I don't know why  
We think we're in control  
When we lie between the lines

We'll find a line to follow  
It's got to show real soon  
Or we'll never reach this high

We climb a little further  
Cause there's nothing we can't get around together  
Further gets colder until nothing was all that I saw around

So we stay until the ground  
That we can't come down from splits us away  
Maybe stars know why we fall  
I just wish they were thinking out loud  
Oh, I could wish all night 

Eleanor sat there for a moment, just staring at the typed words on the page. Her suitor, this mystery in her life… He knew her so well. It had to be someone she'd known for a long time, and the only men she was that close with were Bruce and Adam, her father and Lucius Fox, and out of those four, only two were around her age, and only one wasn't married, and her dad was well, her dad. Bruce was the only possibility, but… but why would he do something like this?

Forcing herself back to her feet and into the moment, she waved the woman from the desk over and got her to unlock the cage. The puppy leapt around for a second, slobbered all over Eleanor's face and then ran back in his cage and promptly sat down, waiting for his leash. He knew where he was going. He knew what was going on. Eleanor smiled and took the leash when the attendant handed it to her, and headed back to the front of the pound. She called for another cab, and asked if he minded driving with a dog in the car. He didn't, and in fifteen minutes, Eleanor and her new dog were headed back to her loft.

When they arrived back at the loft, the snow had died down some and had been replaced by nothing less than a howling wind and driving ice pellets. Her phone rang almost as soon as Eleanor stepped inside.

_"Are you at home, Eleanor?" _

"Yes Mr. Fox. I had to drop off my new dog."

_"New dog? Well, whatever. Don't worry about coming back into work. The ice has covered the roads and everything is shut down. I'm just hoping the ice won't shut all the employees and I in the tower for the night." _

"Well, call me if you need any help or anything, Mr. Fox."

_"I wouldn't ask you to brave the storm. There's enough food for a couple days, if it comes to that, and I'm sure there are enough other supplies lying around this place." _

Eleanor smiled. "All right. Is Bruce there?"

_"No, Mr. Wayne left just before you did for lunch. He'll be at home safe, no doubt."_

"And Adam and Jessica?"

_"They're both here and safe."_

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then Mr. Fox."

_"Yes, and so will the rest of your inventory. Pleasant evening." _

Eleanor flipped her phone closed and smiled to herself as she tossed her coat on the kitchen island and flopped down on the couch. Her new dog hopped up beside her and panted cheerfully, his pink tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. "What should I name you?" she asked, scratching behind his ears.

---

**Author's Note… **Gah, I am so slackin. My plan was to get two chapters done yesterday, today and one tomorrow, but, obviously, that didn't work. I'm going to get one or two up tomorrow and then I'll finish it after Christmas. We'll just pretend I jumped time zones or something… Well, whatever. I'm so glad people are enjoying this fic, because I wrote it for pure enjoyment, and there isn't much of anything else in it. After this fic though, I'm going to finish my X-Men fic, and then do another Batman fic, and then, eh, we'll see. Oh, and by the way, the songs come in no particular order. I just picked them because the lyrics apply to Bruce/Eleanor as a couple.


	8. Day Eight

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "Fix You" by Coldplay

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**Our Songs  
**Day Eight //

The snow, ice and wind had died away during the night, and the plows had been able to get out and clear most of the roads. Eleanor took a cab into work, as her car was trapped in the parking garage, and with half-lidded eyes and a glazed look over her cobalt eyes, she stumbled to her desk and plunked down in her cushy chair. Eleanor was tired. Winter, her new dog, had either wanted to play or had to go outside, allowing no more than a couple hours of sleep at one time for Eleanor. She didn't mind, as Winter had quickly taken a spot in her heart, and she was looking forward to playing with him and taking him for a walk when she got home that night.

She turned on her computer and brought up the inventory pages she needed to finish her work from yesterday. She'd only been working for a few minutes when who else but Bruce Wayne showed up beside her desk.

"God, you're everywhere aren't you?" she asked, leaning backwards in her chair and looking up at him, only faking her anger. "Are you following me or something."

"No." Bruce pulled a small blue box with a gold bow out of his pocket. "Some man stopped me on my way in and asked me to give this to you." He handed her the box, smiling. "He said it was very, very important that you get this, as it has something to do with your Christmas present. Or something like that."

Eleanor nearly snatched the box from his hands and rose to her feet, dropping it on her desk. "What did he look like? Do you know him? What was his name?" Questions flooded through her mind, but her tongue didn't work quick enough and she stumbled over her words, muddling the questions together. She paused, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking up at Bruce once again. "I'm sorry. Please tell me what the man looked like?"

Bruce laughed a little at her. "Of course, Eleanor. I don't know who he was – I'd never seen him before, but he was about my height with dark hair and eyes. Uhm, he had a strong face, I guess you could say. Average. He was _very _insistent that you get that gift though." He raised his eyebrow as Eleanor sat back down in her chair, out of breath. "Why? What's this present that's got you so out of sorts?"

She looked up at him, smiling. "When I returned to my apartment after my traveling, there was a note taped to my door and a giant box in my living room. The box contained a dress and the note explained that whoever had organized a present hunt for me, to welcome me home and to give me a Christmas to remember. I have an idea of who it might be, but I'm not sure, and I don't want to say anything in case I jinx it." Eleanor sighed. "You probably think that's the stupidest thing ever, right? Especially since I'm getting so worked up about it… But he puts a song in each letter, and they all have romantic messages, and I get all flustered when I read things like that."

"Kind of like you're doing now?"

Eleanor laughed a little nervously. "Yeah." She cleared her throat, smoothed her skirt in her lap and took a deep breath, calming herself. "Sorry."

"Ah, it's OK. You're right though, I do think it's pretty corny." Eleanor missed the smirk on his face. "It's kind of a good idea though. I mean, I would have done something to make it a little more special, but that's me." He gestured to the box on her desk. "Are you going to open it?"

Eleanor had, for a moment, forgotten about the gift. She gave a little start and brought the box into her lap. Her attention shifted completely as she pulled the lid open, and again she missed the smile on Bruce's face as she gasped. "Oh my God…" she whispered, gently pulling one of the white gold earrings from its space in the box. "They're beautiful…" The earrings were hoops about the same diameter as the bottom of a standard wine glass, and had small diamonds along their length, shimmering discreetly. She stared at the earrings a moment longer and then pulled the note out of the lid.

_Good morning Eleanor,_

_I trust the gift made its way into your hands fine, and I imagine you're in some  
__state of shock over the earrings. I knew you would love them the moment I saw them  
__in the display of the store. Tomorrow, I want you to go to the Gotham University Library  
__at some point and go to the crime section. You're next gift will be there, waiting for  
__you, and I really think you'll find that one useful. _

_When you try your best, but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want, but not what you need  
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse  
When the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone, but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse _

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
If you never try you'll never know  
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you 

"Oh, you're right. He is corny."

Eleanor threw her pen at Bruce, smirking. "I never said that."

"OK, OK, but he is." This time, she caught the slight smirk on his face and returned the gesture in full force. "Ellie, how would you like to come to the manor tonight for dinner with Alfred and I? I believe he's making roast beef and Yorkshire pudding." He laughed when Eleanor's eyes lilt up. "Dinner's at six." He smiled at her once more and put his hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze.

Eleanor watched him leave, trying desperately to ignore the heat rising throughout her body. With a shake of her head, she returned to her work.

When she finished her inventory around five, Eleanor excitedly packed up her things and took the elevator down to the parking garage. Crews had been working all day and had managed to clear out the snow and ice that had blown inside during the storm and Eleanor was able to get her car out and make good time to her apartment. She took Winter outside, made sure he had food and water and set up some news paper and old blankets around the loft just in case he had to go to the bathroom while she was out. Not really wanting to wear her work clothes any longer, she changed from the pantsuit to her favourite pair of jeans and a low-cut silk top that was form-fitting in the chest and waist and flowed loose down to her hips; the wide sleeves fell to her elbows. Once she had re-applied her makeup, brushed and pulled back some of her hair, Eleanor grabbed her coat and left. The drive to Wayne manor was rather quick and uneventful, but by the time she arrived, fat snowflakes were falling lazily down.

As she reached the door, Alfred opened it before she could knock. "Good evening Eleanor." He took her coat from her shoulders and hung it on a stand behind him. "I'm just finishing up dinner. There is wine in the kitchen."

Eleanor smiled and thanked him. She found Bruce standing in the kitchen, holding a glass of red wine out towards her.

"You look nice, Ellie."

Immediately, she took a lengthy drink from her wine glass and exhaled a satisfied breath. "This is the best glass of wine I've ever had, I think."

Bruce's only reply was a smile and to start walking around the manor. Eleanor fell in step beside him and they chatted idly about Christmas, the presents she got for everyone, the furniture and things Bruce had uncovered, Eleanor's work, her vacation and everything in between. Their stroll ended in the small study at the end of the hall where Bruce's room was located. Eleanor placed her nearly empty wine glass on top of the piano and wandered around, looking at the book shelves, cocking her head to one side to read the titles.

"Do you know how much knowledge you've got in this house? And how much history?"

Bruce smiled and nodded. "Unfortunately, none of it is much use to me. Most of the books are medical texts. The novels are all in the library downstairs, but I don't read that much. Every thing belonged to my parents."

Eleanor moved back over to the piano. "I would love to have all this."

She pressed a few keys in the pattern of the only melody she knew on piano, her hair falling over her shoulder and concealing her face. Her fingers had only touched eight or nine keys when Bruce's hand closed tightly on her shoulder and pushed back backwards, into the wall beside the piano. Confused and a little scared, Eleanor's breathing quickened as Bruce stepped close to her and brought his other hand up to her face. There was brief moment where Eleanor wondered at the sudden actions – was he hiding something? – but then the moment passed and Eleanor shivered, giving in and leaning into his hand. Her hands rose up to his chest and she silently willed him to lean in and kiss her. He stepped closer, their faces were barely an inch apart. Eleanor's breathing quickened more, her cheeks turned a deep, deep shade of crimson, and she couldn't contain the shivers caused by Bruce's warm breath.

And then he kissed her.

And she kissed back.

---

**Author's Note... **Bwa, so, if you didn't guess, this fic doesn't really take place in the exact same realm as the movie, because, if it did, Bruce wouldn't have all his parent's stuff still. It all would be poof gone, up in smoke. So, meh. And guess what? I fail. I didn't finish this on time, but I'm still going to finish it. It'll just be late. So, Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays!


	9. Day Nine

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "If I Could Fall In Love" by Lenny Kravitz

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**Our Songs  
**Day Nine //

Gotham University Library was an old building, covered in vines and tucked between two of the original science buildings at the back of the urban campus. Eleanor parked in the very empty parking lot – all of the students were off for Christmas break – and walked up to the old double doors. They creaked on their hinges as she pulled them open and as they shut behind her. She breathed in deep, closing her eyes and savouring the smell of old books which she loved so much. It had been a long day at work and the smell, the sight of all those books, calmed her.

She smiled briefly at the elderly woman behind the desk and headed down the centre aisle. The section on crime and criminal history and all that fun stuff was at the back wall of the first floor, tucked away in a corner. The aisles became increasingly more narrow and the books became thicker and older. Eleanor wandered the aisles looking for any thing that could be her present, but all she could see where more books. In the last aisle, tucked between the shelf and the wall, she found a small box sitting on top of a piece of paper. Smiling to herself, she bent down and picked it up and then she settled down on the floor with her back against a book shelf. Slowly, Eleanor pulled the lid off and had to confine a small squeal of excitement.

It was a digital camera. A very, very expensive digital camera.

Eleanor pulled out the device and twirled it around in her hands, switching it from left to right, marveling at it, wanting to immediately run out and take pictures. For this man to give her a camera meant he knew her hobby, he knew her.

Smiling to herself, Eleanor uttered a little noise of frustration. _I wish I knew who this was. For sure, anyways. _She turned her head to the side and, cradling the camera against her stomach, she picked up the note and read.

_Eleanor, _

_You've got three days left. Getting a little excited? If I know you, you're  
__near to freaking out, but I'm sure you can last just a little longer. It'll be  
__worth it when you find out who I am, trust me. I can hardly wait to see  
__your face. Enjoy the camera, Eleanor. Go down and see Adam tomorrow  
__to get your gift. _

_When I was young  
I fell in love  
She was a goddess  
With a world inside of her mind  
When she moved on  
Something went wrong  
She took my power  
And the love I had inside  
Now that I found you  
I don't know how to _

If I could fall  
In love again  
I'd fall in love with you

If I could change  
A grain of sand  
Into a pearl I would

I pray in time  
I'll come to find  
Away to break through  
And save this heart of mine  
You've waited long  
If you can't hold on  
I wouldn't blame you  
I don't think I'd be that strong  
What am I to do  
If I can't have you

If I could fall  
In love again  
I'd fall in love with you

If I could change  
A grain of sand  
Into a pearl I would

You love me so  
Even though I don't know  
How do you deal  
With a man like me

If I could fall  
In love again  
I'd fall in love with you

If I could change  
A grain of sand  
Into a pearl I would  
I would, I would, I would 

"In love again?"

That puzzled Eleanor. So, this man, her suitor, had been in love once, and he was reluctant to do so again? OK, that made sense. It also fit with her theory that Bruce Wayne was the one behind this whole thing. He had no doubt been in love with Rachel when they were younger, and Eleanor doubted it was the kind of love that would ever really fade away. But if it was Bruce, that meant that he was seriously in love with her as much as he could be… Eleanor shook her head, removing the thoughts from her head. It couldn't be Bruce – that just didn't make any logical sense. He had a reputation as a playboy, and even though Eleanor doubted that was the _real _Bruce, she knew he would never forsake the thing that kept the press out of his private life.

Of their own accord, the memory of what had happened at Wayne manor the previous night swelled in her mind, and she sighed heavily, closing her eyes and relaxing against the shelf.

She had to see him.

The need overwhelmed her suddenly and completely.

Eleanor rose to her feet, gathered her bag and put her newly acquired camera inside, and headed back to the door, waving at the clerk on her way out. The winter air bit at her cheeks and tousled her hair into knots she knew would be uncooperative when she brushed her hair out later. Right then, she didn't care what she looked like – the only thought on her mind was getting to Wayne Manor as quickly as she could.

But three steps away from her car, she stopped.

Winter needed to be walked. And fed. She would have to take care of her dog before she could see Bruce. Eleanor gazed down at her watch and realized it would be logical to eat supper before she left too and, aggravated beyond all reason even though she knew she really shouldn't be, she huffed and climbed into her car, turned the key in the ignition and drove home, seriously tempted to bypass the loft and head right to the outskirts of town.

_Responsibilities, Eleanor… _She forced herself to turn into the parking garage.

An hour later with her dog fed, walked and watered and herself fed and going squirrelly, Eleanor ran down to her car and took off to the damp streets once again. She had changed into her favourite pair of jeans, which just happened to be tight, and a low cut, red sweater, and reapplied her makeup, so she checked her appearance quickly in the review mirror before she set off. A light snow was falling, but it was melting before it hit the road, so the drive was easy and uneventful, although it felt a lot longer than normal because of her anxiousness.

When she did arrive at Wayne Manor, it was very dark; the only lights were at the front gate and scattered periodically along the long driveway. She drove up to the intercom and pressed the call button and then waited impatiently for Alfred or Bruce to answer.

_"Hello?"_

"Hi Alfred, it's Eleanor. Can I come in?"

_"Of course Ms. Black. I'll open the gate and I'll meet you at the side door." _

Eleanor smiled instead of answering and drove along the gravel drive up to the garage where Alfred and Bruce parked all the expensive cars. She checked her face once more, climbed out, pressed the lock button on her keychain and headed to the old wooden door with the dark red curtains on the inside of the small four pained window. Alfred opened the door after two knocks and smiled his warm, fatherly smile and ushered her into the inviting kitchen and embraced her in a familiar way, a way that made Eleanor very comfortable.

"Is Bruce home?" she asked, trying as hard as she could to sound casual and knowing Alfred would pick up on everything.

"Uh, no, Ms. Black, he's not."

"When will he be home?"

"I'm not sure." Alfred looked around, spotted a bottle of wine. "Why don't you have a drink and relax for a while? He might be home soon."

_I hope so. _There was so much she wanted to ask him, to… _do._ "That sounds like a good idea."

One drink turned into two and then into three and she kept her eyes on the television screen in the informal living room. It was a live news feed on a robbery Batman was currently foiling and Eleanor couldn't look away. When she was finished her fourth drink, almost two and half hours had elapsed, so she figured it wasn't likely that Bruce would be home anytime soon. She waited a little longer, allowing the fuzziness dissipate from the edges of her vision and the alcohol to work through her system a little. Alfred had joined her at some point in the living room, but she hadn't noticed him, and she didn't until he spoke.

"Are you all right to drive home Ms. Black? I'm sure Master Bruce wouldn't mind if you spent the night in one of the extra rooms. I would certainly feel better if I knew you were safe."

"I'm all right, Alfred, thank you." She rose to her feet, brushed some invisible fluff off the front of her jeans. "Just tell Bruce I was here?" Eleanor cocked her head to one side and smiled crookedly. "I need to talk to him."

Alfred smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll tell him, Eleanor, don't worry."

Eleanor gathered her things and left the mansion, frustrated. Only when she was back in uptown Gotham, did her head clear and she realized how crazy she had been for going to the mansion, how little sense that had made. _It's OK, _she told herself. _Everything crazy right now… Only two more days of this madness, and then I'll find out who is leading me on this chase, who is driving me insane. After that, I can go back to normal… Ha, like life is __**ever **__normal in Gotham City… _

As Eleanor pulled into the parking garage, she remembered that she still had to wrap her Christmas presents that she was planning on giving out on Thursday, which was two days away.

_I'm losing my mind. _

_---_

**Author's Note... **So I fail at life, because this is obviously not done on time, but that's OK. I AM going to finish it, so it'll be a belated Merry Christmas. And then, after I finish this fic, I'll finish my X-Men fic, and then, well, I don't know which fic I'm going to work on. It'll either be my other Batman one or the sequel to my X-Men fic. Eh. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.


	10. Day Ten

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "Invincible" by Muse

---

**Our Songs  
**Day Ten //

"So, what are your plans for the holidays, Eleanor?"

"I don't really have any plans besides reading and taking care of my new dog. I have a whole week off – I think I might go a little insane."

"That's what I thought." Lucius Fox smiled and took a sip from his steaming mug of coffee. "I don't want you coming into work at all, even though there will be people here. Besides, there won't be anything to do, because I'm staying home."

"Oh, I don't believe that. You're as attached to this place as I am." Eleanor sipped at her hot chocolate for a moment. "I won't come in for the next week, I promise. But," her cobalt eyes flicked to the clock on her bosses desk. "I should get back to work right now. I've got a lot of charts and things you've asked me to do."

Mr. Fox smiled warmly and asked her to wait. He dug a thick manila folder out from a drawer and handed it to her. "Will you take this down to Adam and his team for me?"

Eleanor eagerly nodded and walked to the elevator, holding the folder under one arm and the remainder of her hot chocolate in her other hand. As the metal doors slid closed, she couldn't help but smile to herself – she was glad to have a reason to go down and see Adam earlier than planned. Originally, Eleanor had been planning on heading down to Engineering on her lunch break, but that was still three hours away, and she really wanted her present. The doors slid open again a few moments later and Eleanor headed straight to Adam's cluttered desk. She shoved some of the mess farther down the desk and slid onto the empty space she had created.

"Good morning Adam," she chirped, shoving the envelope in his face.

He batted the envelope away and then grabbed it. "What's got you in such a good mood this morning, Eleanor?" he asked, smiling deviously to himself.

"Oh, as if you don't know."

Adam's smile turned into an even more devious smirk. "I suppose you want," he pulled a perfectly cube-shaped box with shiny blue wrapping paper and a black bow out of its hiding place, "this." When Eleanor reached for it, Adam lifted it above her reached, retaining his devious smirk. "Not until you tell me what it is and why the guy who gave me it was so insistent that you got it today."

"I don't know what it is, asshole!" Eleanor jabbed Adam in the side with her finger and grabbed the box when he doubled over. "And I told you I don't know who's behind all this."

"But you still think it might be Bruce Wayne, don't you?"

Eleanor slapped Adam's shoulder rather playfully and set the box on the desk beside her. "How did you know that's what I thought?" she asked, smiling.

"You're too obvious, Eleanor. All you've ever thought about is Bruce Wayne."

She rolled her eyes. "All right, I'll give you that one." Eleanor smirked slightly and turned to the box. "What can you tell me about the man who gave the box to you?"

"Well… He was…"

"Adam, you're not going to tell me are you? You're thinking up a lie to tell me."

"No. I was just trying to recall." Adam stuck out his tongue childishly. "He was taller than me, clean-shaven, brown hair, dark eyes. Handsome. And, like I said, very insistent that I get that box to you. I was kind of intimidated by him, actually. The fact that he had to look down at me with his piercing dark eyes didn't help."

Eleanor sat thoughtfully for a moment before pulling the box into her lap and tugging at the black ribbon. She tore open the paper. The first thing she uncovered was another jewelry box, and she sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. When Adam inquired to her reaction, she told him about all the jewels she'd been given, and how awkward it made her feel, how spoiled. When she opened the box, she discovered a thin, white gold anklet. She admired it briefly before setting it beside her and withdrawing the two pieces of paper from the bottom of the box. The first piece of paper was the one she expected – the plain white paper with the note – but the second one was thicker, textured and about the same size as a money bill.

She read that one first, even though she was eager to see what he had to say to her.

_Miss Eleanor Black, you have been given a full spa day at the North City Hotel  
__Spa. This day will include two healthy meals along with your spa treatment,  
__as well as full hair and makeup to get you ready for your evening. Your day  
__begins at ten o'clock on the morning of December twenty-fourth. See you then._

Eleanor's head was rather reeling. The full spa day at North City Hotel, plus the hair and makeup… that was a lot of money. Like, _a lot_. And then the anklet on top of that…

"Man, this guy really is spoiling you, isn't he?"

She hadn't realized Adam had been reading over her shoulder, and she jumped. "Yeah, he is…"

"So, what are you doing on Christmas Eve?"

"Well, I wasn't planning on doing anything, but apparently I've had plans made for me." Eleanor forced a wide grin and then turned her attention to the note, ignoring Adam behind her, she read the typed words.

_Eleanor, _

_Your outfit is almost complete. And now you're probably wondering what  
__I'm talking about, although your train of thought is probably something  
__along the lines of "What the hell is he talking about?" Never fear, my  
__darling Eleanor. You only have to wait two more days to find out who I  
__am, and I'm sure you're impatient. Trust me, I am too. I can't wait to  
__see your face when you finally see who I am. _

_Follow through  
Make your dreams come true  
Don't give up the fight  
You will be all right  
Cause there's no one like you  
In the universe _

Don't be afraid  
What your mind conceives  
You should make a stand  
Stand up for what you believe  
And tonight we can truly say  
Together we're invincible

And during the struggle  
They will pull us down  
But please, please let's use this chance to  
Turn things around  
And tonight we can truly say  
Together we're invincible

Do it on your own  
Makes no difference to me  
What you leave behind  
What you choose to be  
and whatever they say  
Your soul's unbreakable

And during the struggle  
They will pull us down  
But please, please let's use this chance to  
Turn things around  
And tonight we can truly say  
Together we're invincible  
Together we're invincible

And during the struggle  
They will pull us down  
Please, please let's use this chance to  
Turn things around  
And tonight we can truly say  
Together we're invincible 

"I guess you've got some _big _plans," Adam teased.

Eleanor reached behind her head and swatted him in the face with the note. "I'm not even sure who it is! What if he's some kind of creep?"

But even as the words left Eleanor's mouth, she knew they weren't true. Her and Adam said their goodbyes and she headed back to the elevator. On the way back to her desk, she passed the cafeteria and grabbed herself a Chicken Caser salad and a bottle of Diet Coke with Lime. When she was seated back in front of her computer, she pretended to work while she ate, but, really, her mind was focused on her gift hunt and on who could be behind it. Eleanor started by making a mental catalogue of the gifts she had received; the remark about the outfit had made her curious, as she had never really paid that much attention to all the gifts together.

First, there was the designer dress, and then the designer shoes. Next was the picture Bruce had taken of her and Blaze in front of Wayne Manor and then Naomi's great-grandmother's necklace, then the white gold wrists cuffs, the designer pajamas, and then her new dog Winter, and then the white gold diamond earrings, and then the extremely expensive digital camera yesterday and the white gold anklet today. All of those gifts, except for the picture and the heirloom necklace, were not cheap; the two exceptions were priceless. But all the gifts had one thing in common – they all held some personal element. The clothes and shoes fit her exactly, they were her _precise _measurements, the photo was her and her now dead dog, the necklace was an heirloom, the other jewelry was in the preferred white gold, the camera related to her favourite hobby, and Winter was her new dog, given at the moment she once again started to crave canine companionship.

And then there was the matter of the notes and the song lyrics. The notes were written in such a way that she couldn't wait to read the next one, and the lyrics always made her choke up.

There was no question. The man behind this _knew _Eleanor. Really well.

And as for the question of money…

No, there was no question about it anymore.

It had to be Bruce Wayne. It had to be. Eleanor head spent too much time thinking about why it couldn't be Bruce and why it wouldn't be. She had _ignored _the reasons why it would be or could be Bruce, when all she wanted was Bruce to be the one behind the gift thing. But she had to wait two more days to find out if she was right… That was kind of infuriating.

A beep from her computer startled her out her daydreams. She had pressed the wrong key in her daze. She finished her salad quickly and sipped at her pop while she reversed the error. When she had finished everything that was pressing to be done, Eleanor decided to give Bruce a call and see if he wanted to go out for dinner that night.

"_Hello Miss Black." _

Eleanor didn't have to ask how Alfred knew it was her – they had caller display. "Hey Alfred. Is Bruce home?"

"_No, he's not, and I'm not sure when he'll be home. Did you want to leave a message?"_

"No, no, it's OK. It was nothing important. I'll phone later."

Eleanor and Alfred said goodbye before she hung up and gave her whole body a shake of frustration. It looked as if she was meant to wait two more days before she would be able to find out if Bruce really was the one driving her insane.

---

**Author's Note... **OK, this chapter can die. I had to write it twice because I saved over the first copy by accident. I don't know if it's better or worse than it was the first time, but no one will ever know because no got to read it. I'm kicking myself for that one. It's almost as bad as the time when I saved over my Final Fantasy XII game with a new file and I had to do EVERYTHING over again. FRUSTRATING. So, I nearly pulled ALL my hair out today, but I got it finished, AGAIN. Only two chapters left!

Oh, and thank you for the kind words. They always make me feel better, and it's nice to know that my writing is appriciated.


	11. Day Eleven

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "This Christmas" by Harry Connick Jr.

---

**Our Songs  
**Day Eleven //

Eleanor watched from her hiding spot as the soft bundle of a present hit Adam in the back of the head. She covered her mouth as he turned around and around confused, looking for what had caused the impact. He bent down to pick up the bundle and read the tag. Eleanor, knowing he would come looking for her, exposed herself and ran over to his desk, smiling wildly.

"Merry Christmas!" she chirped.

"Same to you, Eleanor. What's this?" Adam held up the bundle and shook it.

"It's a present. I picked it up in…" She paused to think for a moment. "Oh, in Berlin. Open it," she prodded, poking his shoulder.

Adam's light blue eyes flashed in excitement as he smiled. "All right, all right." He pulled open the messily wrapped paper and grabbed the black t-shirt. As he loosed that from its weird folding, a small stone carving fell into his outstretched palm. Adam held it close to his face. "The Berlin Wall? That is cool!" He picked up the shirt and unfolded it in front of his eyes, reading the logo for one of his favourite bands. "Oh, thanks Eleanor!" Adam swept her into a one-armed hug and kissed her temple.

"Well, I know you like history… And that's your favourite band, so I figured they'd be good presents."

"You figured right. Have you got _your _present yet?"

Eleanor smirked at him and said goodbye, informing Adam that she had more presents to deliver. She proceeded to the elevator and up to the board room floors, where Jessica would be working. Along the way, she passed out a few more presents to some of her other work friends, most of which were just little trinkets to decorate desks at work or mantles at home, but everyone said thank you and smiled and hugged her. When she reached Jessica's desk, she was absent, so Eleanor just left the box on top of her desktop calendar, paused and then readjusted it to it was completely centred, smiled and then walked back to the elevator to head back to her own floor. She deposited her gift to Lucius Fox on his desk and flopped down into her own chair, turning on her computer and staring at the screen and listening to the fuzzy noises.

"I hear you're handing out presents today Eleanor."

She turned and looked upward, smiling deviously up at Bruce Wayne. "You heard correctly."

He leaned forward and opened his mouth to say something, but the light hit has face just right, and Eleanor spotted a dark bruise at the back of his jaw, below his ear. Eleanor reached out and gently brushed her fingertips across the bruised flesh. Bruce closed his eyes, leaning into her hand only the slightest bit.

"What happened?" she whispered, calling out the _real _Bruce.

He leaned closer to her. "I fell, Ellie, down the stairs."

"My ass you fell down the stairs, Bruce. Out of all the people I know, you are the least likely person to fall down the stairs." Her voice was a whisper, no one needed to hear what she was saying, to hear the disbelief in her voice. She knew he was lying. "What happened?" It was pointless to ask, she knew she wasn't going to get an answer.

Bruce smirked. He knew he wasn't going to get anything passed her. "Where's my present?" he breathed. But he could always change the subject.

Eleanor huffed, removing her fingers from his jaw and reached into her bag, withdrawing the rectangular box and handing to him. "Right here." She shoved it into his chest, smiling. "I hope you like it. I got it in Moscow." Hope that he would like it bubbled in her chest, and she couldn't help but think he might hate the gift. _That would be only about the worst thing ever. _

But when Bruce unwrapped the sculpture of St. Basil's cathedral, he smiled warmly. "It's beautiful, Ellie."

"Yeah, well, if I could have found something more you, I would have bought that, but you are the _hardest_ person to buy for. I mean, what do you buy for a billionaire playboy? You have everything you want, and if you don't, you can buy it." Eleanor rose to her feet and walked to the hook on the wall behind her and dug her pack of gum out of her bag, shoving a couple pieces in her mouth. She spun back around to look at him. "Do you really like it?"

"Yes," he replied, suppressing his laughter. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Lucius is waiting."

Eleanor watched Bruce head into the office behind her. For a while, she sat and looked through the glass, staring at his back, wondering what the two men were talking about and watching Bruce, and although she could only see the back of his shoulders and head, she was entranced. There was something between them now, and while she was exactly sure what it was, Eleanor was beyond happy; she was sure it had something to do with this whole gift thing, and Bruce hadn't arranged it, things wouldn't be the same. Provided her conclusion that he _was _behind it was correct, of course. But she was pretty damn sure it was.

Deciding she had better do something, anything, Eleanor left her desk and wandered towards the elevator lobby, planning on grabbing a chocolate bar or something from the coffee cart located amongst the black marble. When she returned to her desk, she had a large tea and a chocolate muffin in her grasp. She plunked down in her desk chair and froze. Something was different… It wasn't a glaring change – no one besides her would have noticed it – it was one of those small feelings. Someone had been in her personal space and she knew it, she could feel it. Eleanor immediately began inspecting everything on her desk and in her drawers. As she pulled open her top drawer, the one right beneath her computer, she gasped and one hand sporadically flew to her mouth.

Sitting on top of the clutter of paper and pens and other assorted oddities was a beautiful mask. On her face, it would have covered her forehead, eyes, nose and cheeks, and it looked like something from a masquerade ball in a movie. It was red and silver, with black and red feathers and beads… Eleanor's breath was taken away and she couldn't even find the words to describe the beauty of the mask in her mind. All she knew that when she put it on her face, the elegant curve of the piece which would cover the top of her nose and the sweeping curves where the mask ended on her cheeks would make her look infinitely more regal and she couldn't wait.

Reluctantly setting the mask aside, Eleanor reached into the drawer and pulled out the folded note. Something fell out into her lap. When she picked it up and read the text, she discovered it was a ticket and she smiled – a ticket to The Thomas and Martha Wayne Christmas Charity Ball that Bruce had started two years ago. It was common knowledge the ball was a masquerade.

Eleanor looked over her shoulder and Bruce's back and smirked to herself.

Then, she read the note.

_Eleanor, _

_Tomorrow brings the end of your journey and I know we are both glad  
__for that. You are eager, I imagine, to find out if your suspicions about me  
__are correct. As I told you yesterday, I too am eager to see you. Tomorrow,  
__go to the spa and enjoy your day. The ladies there will make sure you are  
__ready by seven when a limo will arrive to pick you up and bring you to ball.  
__This is all ending rather like a fairy tale, isn't it? Until tomorrow. _

_Hang all the mistletoe  
__I'm gonna get to know you better  
__This Christmas  
__And as we trim the tree  
__How much fun it's gonna be together  
__This Christmas_

_Fireside is blazing bright  
__We're caroling through the night  
__And this Christmas will be  
__A very special Christmas for me  
__  
Presents and cards are here  
__My world is filled with cheer and you  
__This Christmas_

_And as I look around  
__Your eyes outshine the town, they do  
__This Christmas_

_Fireside is blazing bright  
__We're caroling through the night  
__And this Christmas will be  
__A very special Christmas for me_

Something in the song lyrics made her blush slightly, but she set that aside and picked up the ticket once more. Eleanor held it in front of her face, trying to picture herself, all made up and dressed in her beautiful new clothes, but it just wasn't happening. Something told her she was going to have to wait and see just how things could turn out – if they were anything like her daydreams, than she was in for something special.

The door to Lucius' office shut behind her and she spun around, smiling warmly at Bruce. _With the amount he's stopped to talk to me lately, it's a wonder people aren't talking more, _she briefly thought. "Talk finished so soon?" she asked.

Bruce smirked. "Just some brief business issues."

"Sure, sure, whatever you say."

Eleanor caught the slight movement Bruce's green eyes made down to the mask on her desk. "What's that?"

"A mask."

"Well obviously, but where did it come from?"

Ignoring the last pains of doubt in her mind, Eleanor replied, "My secret admirer left it for me. I'm going to your charity ball tomorrow night." A devilish grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Isn't that great?"

He gave the smallest of shrugs. "I'll see you there then."

Eleanor watched Bruce walk towards the elevator, smiling to herself. When he looked over his shoulder, she flushed and pretended to look at her computer, laughing to herself. As soon as he was out of sight, Eleanor ducked into Lucius' office and sat on the seat Bruce had deserted only moments before.

"I can't come in tomorrow, is that OK?"

"Yes, yes," the elderly man said, smiling his fatherly way; it was moments like these when Eleanor was so glad of her situation. "I already know all about your plans. You have a good day tomorrow and I'll see you at the ball."

"Who is it?" Eleanor asked.

Lucius grinned. "Nice try, but I'm not telling."

Eleanor pulled a face and returned to her desk. The rest of the day dragged on, and when she finally fell into bed, she found herself more excited than she had in a very, very long time. She couldn't wait until tomorrow evening when she would be whisked away to the ball, when she finally see if Bruce was behind everything, and when she'd find out what exactly the message in all those songs was.

---

**Author's Note… **Bah. I had to use one Christmas song, so I used one by Harry Connick Jr., who just happens to be one of my favourite singers of all time. And after seeing P.S. I Love You, he's also one of my favourite actors. I was grinning stupidly through most of that movie. At least, the parts I wasn't crying at. It was a good movie, but that's beside the point. The point is, I'm almost done the fic. One chapter/day left. And I'm _really _excited to write it! I think it's going to be the best chapter and one hell of a finale. I, uh, hope so anyways.


	12. Day Twelve

**Disclaimer… **I do not own anything to do with **Batman**, copyright wise. Also, the songs I use in this fic belong to those that own them. Eleanor Black, her family and this plot are mine. This fic is rated for language and some sexual situations; nothing too graphic though, because it's just a sweet little Christmas fic I'm writing because I'm in the holiday spirit. I really like it and I hope you do to.

---

Song: "You Had Me From Hello" by Bon Jovi and "Life by the Drop" by Stevie Ray Vaughn

---

**Our Songs  
**Day Twelve //

The first thing Eleanor did when she woke up the next day was make herself a decent amount of waffles and smothered them in butter and syrup. She had ingested spa food before and she knew how not filling it was and she wanted to spoil herself a bit. Not that she wouldn't be doing that exact thing at the ball that night, but that wasn't the point. Besides, waffles were her favourite breakfast. After she had downed her pile of carbohydrates, Eleanor took Winter for a walk, trying to occupy her mind as well as her time, but it didn't work as well as she wanted, and by the time they made it back to her loft, Eleanor was more agitated with excitement than she had been before.

"What am I going to do with myself?" she muttered, falling backwards onto the couch and savouring the moment of elevated adrenaline. "Mom's not coming until nine-thirty…" Grudgingly, Eleanor looked over at the clock. She still had an hour. "Damn it." And she pulled a pillow over her face to muffle her noises of frustration.

Naomi had e-mailed Eleanor at some point yesterday telling her about the mysterious spa certificate she had received as well as a note explaining the circumstances; she was, of course, going to ball as well. And Eleanor replied, telling her mother all about the game someone had set up for her over the last little while, and about her theory of who was behind it all. Naomi was thrilled, of course, because her life goal had been to set Eleanor and Bruce up, and she thought all her prodding had finally paid off; only part of her enthusiasm was in fun. She was dead serious about Eleanor becoming Mrs. Bruce Wayne.

Eleanor forced herself to watch television for a while before decided it was an acceptable time to change into a pair of yoga pants and a black cotton tank top. She put on a zippered sweater over that and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail, grabbed her coat, the large bag the currently held her shoes and all her jewelry and the hanger holding the black mass which was her dress in one of the black nylon protective bags before checking once more that Winter had food and water and heading down to the front hall to wait for the familiar shape of her parent's car. Eleanor didn't have to wait that long, as at nine twenty-five, the large black luxury car drove up and, nearly exploding with relief that she was one step closer to the ball, she flung herself into the back seat, laying her dress down carefully on the seat beside her.

"A little excited, are we?" Naomi asked, raised one of her perfectly arched red eyebrows.

"You have _no _idea, Mom." Eleanor's smile was devious. "This has been going on for twelve days now, and I _can't _wait any longer to find out if Bruce _is _behind this."

"It has to be him. Who else could arrange something like this?"

Eleanor mustered the most skeptical look she could. "Lots of people _could, _Mom, it's more of a matter who would, and Bruce never really seemed interested in me like that before." Briefly, her mind fluttered back a few days to the kiss they had shared in the study at Wayne Manor. She hadn't told anyone about that. "I'm trying to not get my hopes up."

It was Naomi's turn to be skeptical. "Looks like you're failing miserably."

"That's not the point. The point is that I'm being realistic about this. It's rather likely that Bruce _isn't _behind this after all." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Eleanor realized how much the idea of that hurt. A surprising pain thundered into her chest; she hadn't realized how fast and how far she'd fallen for Bruce, and despite her best tries, Eleanor _needed _it to be Bruce at the end of this journey.

"But you want it to be him, don't you?" Naomi's voice had become warm, caring.

For a few moments, Eleanor sat in silence. "Yes," she finally answered in a whisper.

The rest of the ride was in silence, and when they finally arrived at the hotel spa, Eleanor had forced herself back into her excitement and tried very hard not to think about what she would do if it was not Bruce.

First, Eleanor and Naomi were shown to a private locker room where they changed into fluffy, soft white housecoats and took their hair out. Then, the spa day began for real. Mud-baths, soaks in salt-water, seaweed wraps, facials, and all that fun stuff passed in a blur of friendly conversation and soothing music. They ate streamed fish and vegetables for lunch, and although she wasn't really full, Eleanor did have to admit she felt better, cleaner. Time seemed to fly by, and when Eleanor and Naomi were lying on their stomachs, enjoying massages, it was already nearing three o'clock. As soon as the massages were done, the women were rushing into the salon to get their hair washed, cut and styled. A dinner of grilled chicken, rice and vegetables was served before the makeup artists came.

By the time it was time to get dressed for the ball, Eleanor could barely stand it.

"God! Why is time passing so Goddamned slow!" She began to pace the locker room, waiting for Naomi to get changed.

"Watch your language, dear."

Eleanor huffed and sat down in the comfortable chair leaning against the wall. She stared at her brilliant red dress, hanging on the wall and tried to picture herself in it again. _I still can't do it. Someone is going to have to take a picture of me. _Eleanor knew she wasn't going to have to ask anyone though, as the paparazzi would be more than glued to Bruce all night, and, if it was him behind this, her as well.

"Well, what do you think?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her mother, dressed in a jade coloured gown that complimented the shade of her red hair perfectly and made her green eyes nearly leap out of her face. "You look great Mom – beautiful." Eleanor paused. "We're going to look like Christmas."

Naomi laughed, a pleasant sound. "It's good thing it's Christmas time then. Now hurry up and change. I can't wait to see you in that gorgeous dress."

Eleanor stepped behind the wooden screen and pulled of the robe and worked herself into her clothes for the party. The dress fit her brilliantly. She strapped on her shoes, adorned the wrist cuffs and the earrings – she had elected to leave the necklace at home for fear of something happening to it – and slipped on the three rings she wore everyday: a thin, plain, white gold band on her left thumb, a diamond set in a curving white gold band on her right ring-finger, and a thick white gold band with three onyx stones in a diagonal line on the middle finger of her right hand. She took a deep breath, refusing to look into the mirror until her mother had seen her, and stepped into Naomi's view.

"Oh my God… Ellie, honey, you look gorgeous."

She smiled feebly and turned to look at herself in the mirror. Eleanor was ecstatic: she was not an egotistical person, but she thought she looked perfect. "What time is it?" she asked, admiring herself for another moment.

"It's six twenty. The car is outside waiting."

"Then what are we still doing in here?"

Eleanor pulled on her long wool coat she only wore for special occasions, gathered her bags and headed out to the lobby. Laughing, Naomi followed suit and, in moments, the two ladies were on their way to the hotel where the ball was being held. Eleanor pulled her mask out of her bag and set it on her lap. She then pulled out the ticket and tucked it, along with her ID, credit card and some cash, into the small black clutch purse she'd dug out of her closet for tonight. Naomi's mask was gold and green and covered the right half of her face.

"Here we are," the drive informed them cheerfully.

Both adorned their masks and stepped out onto the brightly lit sidewalk. Liam, Eleanor's father, swooped Naomi inside right away, sparing only a hug, a kiss and a greeting to his daughter; Liam loved parties and knew how Eleanor hated it when her parents hovered. Eleanor stood outside of the hotel, butterflies going insane in her stomach, her heart in her throat and the worst kinds of thoughts barreling through her head. She couldn't remember the last time she had been that nervous and that excited at the same time. She also couldn't remember the last time her being had depended so much on a specific outcome of one event. Eleanor took a deep breath and entered the hotel, handing the doorman her ticket as she passed, and walked the familiar path to the ballroom where she had attended many rich parties before, her eyes continuously swept from side to side, studying every masked face, looking for Bruce.

For what seemed like hours, Eleanor wandered the elegantly decorated ballroom, looking for Bruce, or waiting for him to find her. She sipped at a few glasses of delicious red wine as she walked. Finally, she decided that staying in one place might be a better idea than wandering through the colourful collection of guests, that standing by a window would make her easier to spot, so she moved to the closet one and stood close to the chilly glass.

_My cheeks are turning red, _she thought, gently brushing her finger tips against the flush brought on by the alcohol and her emotions. _Where is he? _Eleanor studied the reflections of the people twirling around behind her, but no one seemed to paying any attention to her beyond a brief glance. She sighed heavily. _Maybe he's not coming… _She sighed again. _Maybe it isn't him after all… _She accepted another glass of wine from one of the waiters mingling amongst the dancers and took a big gulp; some of the fuzziness of being drunk started to clog her mind, but she continued to stare out the window. _I think I'd better lay off the wine… _She set her half-full glass on a nearby table and settled on the window sill, watching the colourful dresses and brilliant masks swirl in front of her. _Wow, there are __**a lot **__of people here… The hospital will be getting a lot of money this year for sure. They must really love Bruce for setting this whole thing up. _She stood up and wandered slightly closer to the crowd.

The arms sliding around her waist made a startled noise jump from her lips.

"You look absolutely wonderful," a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

His lips brushed the top of her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I was wondering when you were going to show up," she whispered, leaning backwards slightly. There was an unbelievable feeling coursing through her body, and, for a moment, she forgot all of her questions, all of her excitement. She felt absolutely content.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." His fingers entwined into hers and he spun her around into dancing posture and whisked her into the crowd.

Eleanor looked up into his green eyes and couldn't keep a smile spreading across her face. Bruce answered her with her favourite crooked smile and pulled her into his chest. "You've got a few questions to answer," she informed him.

"Later."

They danced through a couple songs, giving Eleanor a chance to actually realize what he was wearing: an expertly cut black tuxedo with a red tie that matched her dress perfectly. His black mask shimmered slightly and sat only around his eyes, and something about the way it looked there was familiar, but Eleanor ignored it, not wanting to pursue any more mysteries than necessary right then. After their fifth song finished, Bruce led her across the floor to the room where they kept the coats and purses. Eleanor tired to ignore her parents' eyes on her as Bruce helped her into her coat and led her towards the back of the room where glass doors opened up onto a large balcony. Eleanor smiled jubilantly when she stepped into the light snow. It wasn't terribly cold and there was no wind.

"Before you start the inquisition," Bruce said, "let me ask you something."

"Shoot."

"When did you figure out it was me?"

Eleanor paused in thought. "I think I always knew… But I was doubtful. I mean, before I left, you seemed so immersed in your public image and you were _very _close to Rachel. But, honestly, how many rich guys do I know who could have pulled this off? It had to be someone who knew me well and who could have obtained information and help from my family and friends and my neighbour. Everything just pointed to you. I didn't really let myself believe it was you until after the spa certificate."

He stepped closer to her. "Did you want it to be me."

There was no point in lying to him. "After that whole game… I _needed _it to be you…"

The silence wasn't awkward, just tense. Bruce obviously hadn't expected that sort of answer, but he hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. "You can start your interrogation now," he whispered.

Eleanor gently pushed herself back from him only far enough to comfortably look up into his eyes. "Why'd you pick the songs you did?"

He shrugged casually. "All of the songs I picked… reminded me of you in some way. And of our relationship, including whatever it becomes." Bruce smiled when tears leapt into Eleanor's eyes. "If you hadn't guessed yet, you're important to me Ellie…"

"Just how important are we talking here?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light, but it came out heavy with emotion.

"Very."

"Is that why you arranged this whole thing? So you could tell me that." When he nodded, Eleanor playfully punched his stomach. "You could have just told me."

"Where's the fun in that? Oh, speaking of which," Bruce said as he reached into his pocket. He withdrew a small, unadorned box and handed it to her. "Your twelfth gift."

Eleanor put her mask under one arm, opened the box, tucking the lid underneath it. Sitting on top of a folded piece of paper was an old skeleton key. It was dull, whatever metal it was made of tarnished with age, but it was beautifully crafted. Tied to the top of it was a longish piece of black ribbon, meant to tie it to something. But what would she need an old key for? Before asking though, she pulled the paper out and unfolded it. Instead of typed, it was handwritten in Bruce's familiar scrawl, and it was just the lyrics to a song.

_Hello there, my old friend,  
not so long ago it was 'till the end  
We played outside in the pouring rain,  
on our way up the road we started over again _

You're livin' a dream, wo you on top  
My mind is achin', Lord it won't stop  
That's how it happens, livin' life by the drop

Up and down that road in our worn out shoes,  
talkin' 'bout good things and signin' the blues  
You went your way, I stayed behind  
We both knew it was just a matter of time

You're livin' a dream, wo you on top  
My mind is achin', Lord it won't stop  
That's how it happens, livin' life by the drop

No wasted time, we're alive today  
Churnin' up the past, there's no easier way  
Time's been between us, a means to an end  
God it's good to be here walkin' together my friend

You're livin' a dream, wo you on top  
My mind is achin', Lord it won't stop  
That's how it happens, livin' life by the drop 

Somehow, the fact that the song was handwritten made the message all that more potent, and she sniffed back tears as she tucked the paper back into the box and closed it. _  
_

"A key?" she asked, looking up with tears still hovering in her eyes.

"It's the start of another game. That key opens one door at the Manor, and you've got to find out which one."

"Bruce!"

He just smiled devilishly and pulled her in close again. "Merry Christmas Ellie," he whispered.

Bruce leaned down and kissed her fiercely on the mouth, his one hand moving up to the back of her neck. Eleanor dropped her mask and the box onto the grey stones of the patio and flung her arms around his neck, putting everything she could into that kiss. When they parted, they were both breathing a little heavier and Eleanor's cheeks were flushed. He kissed her again, more tenderly.

"Shall we head back inside?" he asked.

Eleanor nodded, her face pressed into his chest, and took a deep breath. _He smells good, _she thought absently. "I'd like to dance some more," she mumbled. Really, she would have liked to have stood there, in his warmth.

Bruce gave her a moment more and then untangled himself from her. He picked up her mask and the box and handed them to her as they headed back inside. Both of them slipped their masks back on and stepped into the warmth, heading back to the coat room. When they were back on the dance floor, Bruce waved to the band and a lone man stepped forward, a microphone in his hand.

"Bruce…"

"Just another little surprise."

Eleanor gave him a warning look and held herself close to him; now that she had him, she didn't want to let him go.

The man with the microphone cleared his throat and then sang:

_At the mirror you fix your hair and put your makeup on  
You're insecure about what clothes to wear  
I can't see nothing wrong _

To me you look so beautiful when you can't make up your mind  
It's half past eight, it's getting late  
It's OK, take your time

Standing here my hands in my pockets  
Like I have a thousand times  
Thinking back it took one breath  
One word to change my life

The first time I saw you it felt like coming home  
If I never told you I just want you to know  
You had me from hello

When we walk into a crowded room it's like we're all alone  
Everybody tries to kidnap your attention  
You just smile and steal the show

You come to me and take my hand  
We start dancin' slow  
You put your lips up to my ear and whisper way down low

From the first time I saw you it felt like coming home  
If I never told you I just want you to know  
You had me from hello

And when you're laying down beside me  
I feel your heartbeat to remind me...

The first time I saw you it felt like coming home  
If I never told you I just want you to know  
You had me from hello

From hello  
From hello 

And, as they danced, Eleanor leaned against Bruce and swallowed the lump in her throat.

Merry Christmas indeed.

---

**Author's Note… **Belated Merry Christmas to every one. I hope you all had great holidays and the New Year is going well so far.

You all get a long, cheesy ending to this fic. Yay for cheese.

Why are there two songs? Because I couldn't decide which one I liked better. That's why.

And you can all decide what room the key is for. I ain't telling.


End file.
